Dozens of pets find forever home at Adopt-a-palooza

About 50 animals found a forever home Saturday at Adopt-a-palooza held at the Bradenton Area Convention Center.

Daisy was among at least 39 dogs adopted on Saturday, and she was excited to be going home with Tim and Diane Thifault. She jumped onto Tim Thifault’s lap, while his wife filled out the necessary paperwork.

“We already have three rescues,” he said. “They are all males, so we decided we needed a female in the bunch, keep them in line.”

The couple chose Daisy just by looking at her, as she sat calmly in her cage and then was very friendly, Tim said. He asked his wife if she was thinking of changing Daisy’s name.

But Ms. Daisy it is. Diane loves it, she said.

And Daisy’s new home has four acres, two of which are fenced in, a doggie door into the house, plenty of food, water and love to look forward to, Tim said.

For the second straight year, Manatee County Animal Services and 12 local animal rescues participated in the expo-style adoption event on Saturday. For the one-day event, animal services dropped their adoption fee to $5.

“When we opened we had such a rush of people that we've had to go back to the facility several times to get more dogs,” animal services outreach and events specialist Hans Wohlgefahrt said.

More than 1,000 people had attended the five-hour long event, he said. And as they entered into their final hour, 19 dogs and eight cats from animal services had been adopted. About 20 dogs had been adopted from all the rescues as well.

After adoptions, education was the second goal of the event, Wohlgefahrt said.

“Everybody is leaving with a lot of information, and some are leaving with their dogs and cats,” he said. “We want people to know that pet retention is also important, not just pet pet adoption.”

In addition to adoption opportunities, several pet vendors were also at the event offering services such as obedience school.

Trisha Robinson-Antonelli’s K9, named Phoenix, with Dawg phonics, attracted the attention of anyone who walked by and were in awe of how calm the Belgium Malinois and Red Heeler Mix was just sitting on the table, not even moving when he was pet by visitors, but visibly content.

“He is the most well-adjusted K9 I have ever known,” she said.

Phoenix, who Robinson-Antonelli adopted six years ago through Pet-finder, works with her to help teach other dogs how to behave and communicate, she said.

One dog that was brought to the adoption event by animal services was too scared to come inside, so she went outside with Phoenix and walked them both together.

“Now look at him walking all over,” she said, pointing out the other dog.

The duo travel to people’s homes anywhere from Naples to Tampa, she said, to offer her obedience training. Robinson-Antonelli does not teach dogs to attack, and her style of training really increases the bond between the dog and owner.

“When we go into a session, he knows who he can lean on or who needs more therapy,” she said.

Four-year-old Sophia Cryer looked like she had fallen in love with a 3-month-old Chihuahua puppy named Smee, up for adoption at the Canine Castaways.

“I love them,” Sophia said. “The little puppies are so cute, but the big puppies, I don’t know about them.”

This story was originally published August 6, 2016 at 6:19 PM with the headline "Dozens of pets find forever home at Adopt-a-palooza."