Wag It Forward

wag It Forward:
a nonprofit festival for pets

Save the Date!
Join Pet Food Warehouse at the
Champlain Valley Exposition on
Saturday, September 23, 2023
10am to 4pm

location

The Champlain Valley Exposition, 105 Pearl Street, Essex Junction, VT 05452

$5 TICKETS

T-SHIRTS

Entrance fee is $5
Children under 12 years old are free.
Parking is free.
Tickets are available for purchase at the gate or in either PFW store through Friday, Sept. 22nd.

Wag It Forward 2023 Tshirts are now available in stores and online for $28! All profits go directly to the participating animal nonprofit groups. Grab yours today before they sell out!

Pets

Leashed dogs are welcome!
Cats should be secured in a bag or carrier.
The event can be stressful for some pets. Pets in distress or creating a dangerous situation may be asked to leave.

We care about your pets!

An animal waiver is required upon entrance for all pets in attendance.
All waivers must be submitted at time of entrance as a hard copy (no digital copies accepted).
Skip the line and fill out your waiver ahead of time. Waivers are available at Pet Food Warehouse, or can be found here, or can be completed at the event entrance.

Animal Waiver

The Event

Pet Food Warehouse is excited to celebrate its 40th anniversary with the biggest and baddest 80’s themed Wag It Forward: A Nonprofit Festival for Pets at the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction, VT, with the aim of drawing attention to the many animal welfare groups we have in Vermont, and to provide a fundraising opportunity for these groups and the animals they benefit.
Last year, we had the most successful WIF yet! The Under the Sea themed festival resulted in over $20,000 donated to 21 local animal welfare groups from WIF proceeds! Over 1,200 humans and their pets enjoyed the beautiful fall day visiting the 35+ pet-centric vendors along with the beneficiary groups and volunteers. We hosted dog dock diving, live music, multiple selfie stations, agility courses, and a professional branded photo booth, and had an impressive turnout of costumed pets and people to partake in the contest midday.
Wag It Forward 2023 kicks off again with the Chase Away Canine Cancer 5K fun run; Dock Dogs will be back with competition waves and practice dives; our local 99.9 The Buzz Bash crew and live music will keep the atmosphere fly; enter the 80’s costume contest at 2pm for a chance to score radical prize packages; cut the rug to Pontoon's live sets of 80's tunes; set your dog off on the lure course from 802 K9 training; catch the two informational demonstrations from dog experts Laurie Lawless and Emily Lewis; scarf up sweet nourishment from local food vendors; tie-dye a bandana in the Fun Zone; marvel at the agility demonstration by NOMAD Agility; visit the 33 local animal nonprofit groups attending as beneficiaries; chat with the 30+ pet-loving vendors and sponsors throughout the grounds; and much more!
The event will be held rain or shine!

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2023
10AM TO 4PM

EVENT MAP

event attractions

DOCK DOGS SCHEDULE:
Friday, September 22nd

Onsite registration/Practice - 3:00pm
Big Air Wave #1 - 4:00pm
Extreme Vertical Competition - 5:30pm

Saturday, September 23rd

Onsite Registration/Practice - 9:00am
Big Air Wave #2 - 10:00am
Big Air Wave #3 - 11:30am
Speed Retrieve (All in one Finals) - 1:30pm
Big Air Finals - 3:00pm (Pro, Semi Pro, Contender & Amateur Finals)

EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY by
Gone to the Dogs Photography
Vermont's Pet Photographer
Jilian Turner

MUSIC PROVIDED BY
The Buzz Bash Crew
99.9 The Buzz
Until 12 Noon
with early morning coffee + cocoa provided by
Dunkin'
122 Pearl St, Essex, VT
while supplies last only.

And two sets of live 80's music after noon by Pontoon!

CHASE AWAY 5K
In-person event Saturday, September 23rd

Same-day registration - 8:00pm
In-person 5K - 9:00am

FAMILY FRIENDLY ENTERTAINMENT

Airbrush Tattoos
Balloon Twisting
Big Blue Train Rides

DEMONSTRATIONS FROM:

Lure Course by:

Agility Demos by:

Police Dog Demos by:

Informational Demos by Dog Experts
Laurie Lawless and Emily Lewis

2023 Sponsors

WAG IT FORWARD IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THESE BENEFACTORS:

MOST TRIUMPHANT (MAIN SPONSORs)

Wellness Pet Brands: Wellness, Whimzees, Old Mother Hubbard, Sojos

Pets Global Family of Brands: Zignature, Fussie Cat, Essence, Inception

tubular sponsors

Andy's Dandys, The Honest Kitchen, Pronature

bodacious sponsors

American Natural Premium, Identity Pet Food, The Pour House, Rock Star Real Estate, Vital Essentials

righteous sponsors

Bellcate School Dog Treats, Beco Pets from Only an Ocean, Caru, Darford Baked Dog Treats, Dominion Tech, Fera Pet Organics, Fetch the Leash, Ghost Dog Dairy, Healthy Hemp Pet, Hemp Vet, Island Memorial, Koha, M&T Bank, OC Raw, PetSafe, The Richards Group, Tickled Pet, Vetriscience

wicked sponsors

Andy & Audie, Charlee Bear, Fido Biotics, Goodness Gracious, Grandma Lucy's, Hugglehounds, Lennox, Nature's Own Dog Chews, Northfield Savings Bank, Simply B Vermont, Under the Weather, Waggle Woof & Wander

Excellent sponsors

4 Legs & A Tail, Adecco , Drs Marko Family Chiropractors, Ice House Farm, Invisible Fence of Northern Vermont, Kelly's K9 Cookies, Rawz Natural Pet Food