Furry festival for Finglas

FINGLAS based Dogs Trust will celebrate a decade of rescuing and rehoming dogs in Ireland with a fabulous doggie festival later this week on August 18.

The inaugural Dogs Trustival will be jam-packed with all things doggie and a fabulous array of great entertainment for the whole family to enjoy.

Events already planned include training displays with some of the most talented Dogs Trust residents and their canine carers; a ‘Tailwaggers Walk’ market full of doggie goodies and exhibitions; delicious street food vendors; and a children’s ‘education corner’ with face-painting.

There will also be canine agony aunts, a ‘Pup Up’ photo booth with Pawtrait and a ‘Museum of Modern Bark’ where a host of well-known artists, including Off The Leash, Audrey Hamilton and Morgan will exhibit pieces of their artwork to be raffled at the event. 

There will be designated activity areas where dogs can have fun and explore too. But dogs attending need to be well socialised, comfortable with other dogs and children and familiar with large crowds of people.

The main tent will be hosted by TV presenter, author and dog lover, Andrea Hayes, and will feature some well-known music acts who will play exclusive acoustic sets in a small intimate setting.

Top Irish band Hudson Taylor, who featured some Dogs Trust residents in their recent music video ‘Run with Me’, will play a number of their biggest hits, as well as new Dublin band SARLOOS, who will be performing an acoustic version of their debut single, ‘Changes’, which reached almost four million streams on Spotify.

Special entertainment acts will include a magician, a balloon modeller and live bubbles, and a ‘Dog Tales with Andrea Hayes’ competition, where owners can tell what their dog means to them and the impact their dog has had on their life.

The competition will be judged by Irish model Holly Carpenter, TV presenter Maia Dunphy and Dogs Trust Head of Operations, Karla Dunne.

Speaking about Dogs Trustival, Suzie Carley, Executive Director of Dogs Trust, said that while the canine charity began its work in Ireland in 2005, the Rehoming Centre in Finglas only opened its doors in 2009.

“Over the last decade we have worked tirelessly to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome as many dogs as possible across Ireland,” she said. 

“Since our work began, we have rehomed over 17,000 Irish dogs. 

“To celebrate this monumental milestone, we wanted to create a special fun-filled event for our amazing supporters and all dog-lovers, showcasing the amazing work that we have achieved together and honouring all the beautiful lives we have changed for the better – dog and human -over the last ten years.

“Our life-saving work would not be possible without our dedicated supporters. It is because of them we can continue to develop and expand our programme of activities with exciting new projects that will save thousands more lives long into the future.

“Together we can look towards a brighter future for our furry friends and see the day when all dogs can enjoy a happy life, free from the threat of unnecessary destruction.”

Dogs Trustival takes place in Dogs Trust, Finglas, on Sunday August 18 from 12pm-5pm. Tickets on sale from www.dogstrust.ie/DogsTrustival.