You can bring your family, furry friend to Pet Fest

We are a society totally, completely, seriously in love with our pets.

We flock to movies about loyal pets and marvel at the unabashed love they bring us. We shed tears when Old Yeller dies and cheer when Lassie once again saves the day. We adore the nobility of Seabiscuit and the ingenuity of Benji.

But most of all, we love our own pets. We treat them as family members.

This weekend’s Pet Fest at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center is for us all.

Pet Fest is billed as an all-breed, all-species companion-animal trade show and adoption extravaganza. It promotes both responsible pet ownership and the adoption of homeless animals.

The show runs today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $6, a family pass for up to four is $15, there is no charge for children under six, and pets are $3 if you haven’t already registered them.

Festgoers can meet with featured animal clubs, view demonstrations, meet artists and pet rescue organizations. They can talk with trainers, veterinarians, feed dealers and browse any number of pet-related vendors catering to their beloved, furry friends.

Pet Fest 2004 helped raise more than $6,000 for the Spokane Humane Society and helped find homes for more than 100 pets.

What makes Pet Fest extra special is you can bring your own pet. You and your pet can compete in contests such as wiener dog races, pet talent shows, a pet-human duet singing contest and a Frisbee contest.

However, in the event of both convenience and the public health, there are a few pets it is recommended not to bring. Here is a brief list:

Goldfish. They just don’t take well to a leash.

Large wild and exotic cats. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service suggests that only qualified, trained professionals should keep these animals – even if they are only being kept as pets. Agency personnel have seen too many instances where wild and exotic cats kept by untrained people have not only harmed people but suffered themselves due to poor care, a USDA report states.

Pocket pets. Small, furry pets like hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, ferrets, rabbits, rats and mice, the kinds of pets that fit neatly in a pocket, have been linked to about 30 cases of a dangerous, multidrug-resistant form of salmonella, according to a report released this month. Many of the victims were children and the bacteria are linked to the death of a 5-year-old boy in Minnesota who played with and kissed a pet rat. Six were hospitalized for vomiting, fever and severe diarrhea. The Centers for Disease Control said that these reports show that there is no such thing as a “perfectly safe pet,” and recommends that parents and children should wash their hands thoroughly after contact with any pet.