One day entirely dedicated to companion animals, featuring parades, responsible adoption initiatives, and activities for families, will take place on October 3 in Baixa de Setúbal, from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., at the V.I.P. Festival, with free admission, according to a statement.
According to the same source, the festival begins at 11:00 a.m., with the opening of activity spaces in several squares of Baixa and face painting in Largo da Ribeira Velha. At 11:15, Fernando Rodrigues, an animal behavior specialist, known from the RTP program “A Estrela lá de Casa,” will participate in a talk at Praça do Bocage.
In the same venue, at 1:15 p.m., the “Cãominhada da Fama” takes place, a dog parade for responsible adoption with the participation of the Vitória Futebol Clube football team.
The face painting returns to Largo da Ribeira Velha at 2:00 p.m.
The festival also introduces Pata d’Açúcar, a project that selects and rescues dogs from shelters, trains them, and hands them over free of charge to people with diabetes to help them monitor their glycemia levels. The presentation is scheduled for 3:30 p.m., at Praça de Bocage.
The programming continues at 4:00 p.m., with an hour of children’s storytelling led by Susana Caetano Falca in Largo da Ribeira Velha.
At 4:15 p.m., the “Cãofusão de Talentos” begins at Praça do Bocage, an open dog show for registered animals, with categories dedicated to personality, style, and resemblance to the owners. The awards ceremony is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
Throughout the day, the public can also watch demonstrations of grooming and first aid for animals, visit a market of pet products, and meet adoption projects and donation drives. The program, running until 7:00 p.m., includes quick veterinary consultations and works created by fourth-year students from the municipality’s schools.
On the following day, October 4, a blessing of the animals takes place at 11:30 a.m., in Largo de Jesus.
The V.I.P. Festival is a joint organization of the Associação Abraça a Baixa, Pet-Friendly Portugal, and the Setúbal City Council.
