Less than two weeks away, South Park is throwing a party for pets and their people, and there are West Seattle participants too, with room for more vendors. Here’s the announcement for the first-ever Bark for South Park Pet Fair:

Celebrate the love of man’s best friend with the pets and people that make up the neighborhood of South Park in Seattle. Dogs and their parents will gather on April 9, 2011 to celebrate the 1st Annual Bark for South Park pet fair. The event will be held from 11:00am to 4:00pm in the parking lot of Discount Foods located at the corner of Dallas Ave South and 14th Ave South – right across the street from the temporary dog park in South Park.

The event will feature a number of booths from area pet stores and retailers like A Dog’s Dream Natural Pet Supply (Georgetown), Seattle Canine Outfitters (South Park), Petco (West Seattle) and others. Information about their products and free samples of their favorite healthy products will be handed out.

Receive invaluable information from pet care and training providers, like Happy Tails Dog Walking Services (Georgetown) and Seattle’s Best Dog Walking, visit dogs in need of a home from local rescues like Dogs Deserve More, or let you dog sample new bake at home treats from local vendors. A limited number of booths are still available at no cost to the vendor.

The event will also feature a number of contests for dogs, and their owners, plus giveaways – and of course, it is dog friendly.

Sisters, Kathy and Sue Kershaw, planned the event on one of their daily visits to the dog park with Kathy’s beloved dog, Zeke. Their idea was two-fold; they wanted to bring dog lovers together to show support for a permanent dog area in the neighborhood — and also bring more people down to the retail core of South Park. Restaurant and retail establishments that are hit hard by to the bridge closure last year, losing regular customers who long traveled from neighboring Duwamish River neighborhoods.

“When the South Park Bridge closed last June, the county installed a temporary dog park at one of the sites next to the closed bridge. Since construction will start on the new bridge in May, the dog park will close after just being open 10 months. We have many dogs in this neighborhood already, and people from Georgetown, White Center and Boulevard Park are bringing their dogs here to play.”

“We need to secure a place now for our dogs especially since so many people here cannot drive to dog parks in other parts of Seattle. Not having the same access to the neighboring communities is a huge issue for this area,” says Kathy Kershaw, organizer of the event. “My sister and I hope to bring other dog lovers from the community out to support the idea of a dog park and that support this area as a dog-friendly community. If anything, we need to understand each other and our pets more to make this a nicer place to live for our four-legged family members.”

The event promises to be a treat for all dog lovers and their pets alike. The hope is to continue this event annually – in a new dog park in a restored area along the Duwamish River.

Volunteers and vendors are still needed for the event. Please contact Kathy Kershaw at 206-696-0521 / 206-767-5695.