It’s festival season in the greater Charlotte area, and on Saturday, May 4th, Pups ‘N Pints helped kick things off with the perfect event. Starting at noon, Pups ‘N Pints entertained residents with live music by Funkyarddog, raffle prizes, and vendor tables. The beer zone and food zone were both very necessary for the hungry afternoon crowd, but the kids’ zone was a major draw as well. The bounce house, face painters, and dunk tank offered fun activities, and the puppy zone stole the show.
Danielle Spuler, of South Charlotte Dog Rescue, was thrilled with the success of this year’s event, as well as the good weather conditions. “We are really excited about the success of Saturday’s event. We are so thankful for the turnout. I think that the difference this year came from our event planner, Emily Zimmerman, from Grace Communications.”
Zimmerman made sure that everyone was on track and every detail was covered. She also organized the vendors and sponsors, making sure their needs were taken care of. Spuler said, “She made it so much more organized and easy for us to just do what needed to be done while we were also taking care of the needs of the rescue. It made a difference for us because we didn’t have to divide our time as much. She was keeping us on track so we could focus on the day-to-day running of the rescue that is, of course, so important.”
Zimmerman was also pleased to report, “We had record attendance. We more than doubled the attendance over last year.” The final numbers for dog adoptions are still unknown. Zimmerman explained that the adoption process isn’t immediate, so she wasn’t sure how many would make it through the process. However, they were very happy with the level of interest.
“The puppy pens were probably the most popular spots. It was great attention for all those dogs. And all our vendors and sponsors were busy all day.” Zimmerman felt the additions of live music, extra vendors, and having more dogs up for adoption contributed to the overall success of the event.
“We’re already working on our plans for next year. We want it to be one of the biggest dog events in the Charlotte area. We have a good recipe for success and want to keep building on that. We want to remember that ultimately the goal is to raise money for South Charlotte Dog Rescue,” she said.
Pups ‘N Pints already has a waiting list for vendors and sponsors for next year, but Zimmerman still encourages anyone who is interested to talk to her about getting involved. Due to the demand, Pups ‘N Pints is looking to expand their event area space for 2020.
Spuler concluded with, “We see so many that are heartworm positive that need surgery or that need special medical help. That’s really what our medical fund is all about, and that is what we are raising money for every year at Pups ‘N Pints. It really does make a huge difference on behalf of the animals.”
Pups ‘N Pints would like to thank all of their sponsors and vendors: Passionate Paws Animal Hospital- title/gold sponsor; Jimmy Grappone Realtor for Costello Real Estate and Investors- title/gold sponsor; Cultivate Health Chiropractic- silver sponsor; Three Leaf Orthodontics- kid zone sponsor; In Good Hands Pet Sitting- puppy zone sponsor; TapHaus 49- beer and food zone sponsor; Blue Lagoon- food truck; Killer Q BBQ- food truck; King of Pops Big Pop Productions- DJ; TruGuard Construction; Pet People; Waxhaw Kid Coders; Pet Wants; Charlotte Doggie Styles Mobile Grooming; Art Box Ceramics; Thorns Roses Puppy Dog Noses.
Vendors or sponsors who are interested in participating next year can call Emily Zimmerman at 314.800.3398, or email gracecommunicationsagency@gmail.com.
