Animal and Music Lovers Meet at the 14th Annual Pet Rock Festival

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Wednesday, September 05, 2012

Joe Parello, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

Those that are both music enthusiasts and animal lovers will feel right at home at this weekend's 14th Annual Pet Rock Festival.

The Festival, which will be held on the campus of Quinsigamond Community College this Sunday, will feature over 150 breed rescues and shelters broadcasting their cause. The festival will also feature a plethora of live music, tons of food, and games for humans and canines alike.

"I love the music and all, but animals are my passion," organizer Jeannie Hebert said. "So you'll find me at the dog show. We have a really fun amateur dog show that runs for hours so that every one can bring their best friend up and show what they can do. We have different fun competitions for the dogs like 'waggy-est tail' and 'best vocalist.'"

Hebert co-founded the event with Charlene Arsenault 14 years ago in response to a video Arsenault had seen of a group of teenagers brutally torturing their dog. Now the owner of a rescued dog herself, Hebert has seen the event steadily grow to feature Frisbee catching Australian Shepherds than can jump higher than Michael Jordan, as well as a full "Doggy Waterpark."

"If I could I would devote all my time to helping animals," Hebert said. "We do this along with a group of dedicated volunteers who share our passion for animals. We couldn't do it without our volunteers."

Jon Pousette-Dart with Jim Chapdelaine and Heather Maloney are all set to play, with performances sponsored by PetCo. For those a bit younger, co-ed teeny bobber group popAlert will take the stage and folk-pop duo Stefelia's Stone will also perform.

The event will also feature the presentation of the 2012 Pet Hero Awards. This years' recipients include Lilly the Pitbull, a courageous pooch that dragged her unconscious owner from the path of an oncoming train. Lilly's owner was unharmed, but the eight-year old dog was badly injured, and needed to have her front right leg amputated.

Another Pet Hero is Officer John Pitro of Shrewsbury. The officer came to the aid of an innocent puppy being yanked on the leash by its owner so hard the 40 pound dog came off the ground and backward seven feet. Officer Pitro arrested the man on charges of animal cruelty and disorderly conduct.

The final hero at this year's festival is Karen Windsor. A volunteer at Foster Parrots since 2001, Windsor has taken care of the center's birds, along with a heavy administrative burden, and has fought for the welfare of all captive and wild parrots.

For a chance to see dozens of dog breeds, enjoy some great live music, meet some animal heroes, along with famed animal behaviorist and Animal Planet regular Dr. Nicholas Dodman, head over to Pet Rock. Feel free to bring your dog with you. Festivities begin at noon and run until 5 pm.

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