Lookin’ for a home

The 3 1/2 -foot long nameless ball python, rescued in a drug bust, didn’t get any nibbles.

Diamond, on the other hand, might have slinked her way under someone’s door had Traci Williams, founder of Inland Empire Reptile Rescue, put the 14-foot Burmese python up for adoption.

“When I got her, she was in bad shape,” said Williams, one of dozens of pet adoption agencies that packed the Spokane County Fair & Exposition Center at Saturday’s Pet Fest. “She stayed with our family and the family has fallen in love with her.”

Pet Fest – a place to go to adopt a dog, a cat or even a bearded dragon lizard, was the creation of 30-year-old Rachael Berryman, owner of Creative Edge Marketing and Event Management. Berryman organized the first Pet Fest three years ago when she was employed by NorthTown Mall. The festival outgrew the NorthTown site faster than a kitten in a shoebox.

With the support and input of Spokane Humane Society and the Spokane Dog Training Club, Pet Fest took off in its second year at the fairgrounds. It went through the roof this year as 85 vendors, including 18 animal shelter and rescue groups set up booths.

At day’s end, 73 dogs, cats and ferrets had been adopted. Williams even found a home for a small turtle.

More than 3,000 pet lovers – at $6 a ticket for adults and $9 for adult with pet – attended the festival. Last year, 38 pets were adopted and more than 1,300 people attended.

While Pet Fest was going full tilt, the Spokane Kennel Club was staging its annual dog show at the fairground’s main exhibition building. More than 1,100 dogs of 150 breeds were being shown. The show, held under American Kennel Club rules, continues today at 8 a.m.

Because the two events were a Frisbee-throw away from each other, dog lovers such as Sharon Marotto took advantage of both. After showing her 8-year-old Chinese crested hairless named Champion Jules Fabulous Fabio in the kennel club’s best-of-breed serious competition, Marotto and Fab had some fun at Pet Fest’s “Singing with your Pet Duet.” The competition – a crossbreed of “American Idol” (canine version) and David Letterman’s Stupid Pet Tricks – proved to be a fabulous moment for Fab. The hairless pooch’s high-pitched squeal undoubtedly raised the arm hairs on some spectators. Marotto, a dog breeder who has been showing dogs for 20 years, did not sing along with Fab in the contest that attracted seven dogs.

“He just told us one day he liked to sing,” Marotto said of Fab. “He started singing in a dog show … everyone thought we were killing him.”

Instead, Fab killed in Saturday’s show as the crowd of about 200 voted him No. 1 crooner. Meanwhile, Buddy, a mixed breed owned by Eva Elise sang along as Elise interpreted in sign language. The performance, and Buddy’s strong out-of-tune pipes, were worthy of second place.

Pet food companies such as Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance also played a big part of the festival. Van Patten, better knows as “Eight Is Enough” TV dad Tom Bradford, was at Pet Fest most of the day. He said he got involved in pet-food products 15 years ago.

“I told someone about the idea of health food for dogs and her eyes lit up,” Van Patten said.

Although successful in his business venture, the pleasant-natured Van Patten said fans still approach him about his show that ran from 1977 to 1981.

He was asked: How many times do people ask you if eight was enough?

“Oh, a lot,” he answered. “But it’s nice that they still really like it.”