A charity family festival in support of homeless dogs was held in St. Petersburg

Two days in support of a shelter

On November 7 and 8, a charity family festival in support of homeless animals was held in St. Petersburg, reports Life.ru. Admission was free, and the main stars of the event were the dogs. Co-organizers were the social initiative teams Sobaka Ishchet Dom (A Dog Is Looking for a Home), Day Lapu (Give a Paw) and Dobraya Masterskaya (Kind Workshop) — winners of Gazprom Neft's volunteer project competition under the Rodnye Goroda (Hometowns) program. The festival was held in support of the Mys Dobroy Nadezhdy (Cape of Good Hope) shelter, formerly known as Ostrovok Nadezhdy (Islet of Hope): it has new leadership, new enclosures and plans, and, according to the outlet, the shelter accepts any kind of help — from volunteer hands and food to medicine and funding.

Meeting the dogs and a family program

The first day was dedicated to the dogs — wards of the homeless animal support group Sokhrani Zhizn Sobakam s Poley (Save the Lives of Dogs from the Fields): visitors talked with the curators and learned the stories of animals looking for a home. On November 8, the shelter's wards took center stage — guests could pet the dogs and get a closer look at them; some families, according to the organizers, decided to visit the shelter regularly for further acquaintance and to help. For the four-legged guests, a relaxation zone was arranged with the support of animal behavior experts, so they could rest from the socializing and the excitement.

Lectures, a fair and an online catalog

The program included creative workshops for children and teenagers, a lecture series by dog behavior specialists, veterinarians and zoopsychologists, a performance by a music community, and a screening of the first season of an animated series by a charity foundation. The festival concluded with a concert by singer-songwriter Eduard Nekhaev, who has impaired vision; on stage he was supported by his guide dog Chapsi — a recent winner of an interregional guide dog tournament. A charity fair with toys, jewelry, ceramics, blankets, sweets and handmade goods ran for two days. For shy dogs that feel uncomfortable in crowded places, and for animals in foster care, an online catalog was available; it, like the shelter, continues to operate after the festival — at sobakaishetdom.ru.