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A Big Dog PArty
That’s what planned for Scott Township next weekend
By Christopher Cornell
ADVAntAGe eDitor
If you’ve ever had a kid, or been one, you’ve probably read P.D. Eastman’s classic, “Go, Dog. Go!” If you have, you may remember the book’s big ending (spoiler alert!): “a big dog party!” That’s pretty much the idea behind the second annual Pittie Palooza Festival, which will be held on Saturday, June 10, between noon and 4 p.m., rain or shine, at Maiolatesi Wine Cellars, 32 Cabernet Drive in Scott Township. The organizers call Pittie Palooza “NEPA’s only dog-friendly music and wine festival.” There will be live music by Blue London, wine, rescue groups with dogs you might want to adopt or foster, representatives of various animal welfare groups, vendors, artisans, food trucks and more. Each ticket entitles the bearer to a wine tasting, two glasses of wine, entry to the festival, and a souvenir wine glass for the first 100 people. Discounted tickets can be purchased in advance at pittiepalooza. com and tickets will be $25 at the gate. Designated driver tickets are available at a reduced rate. Lawn chairs and blankets are welcome but outside food and drink is not. All breeds are welcome as long as they are friendly and well-socialized and animal-friendly. One dog per handler, and no retractable leashes allowed. Of course,
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attendees must be prepared to pick up after their dog. The event was the brainstorm of the entrepreneurs behind PittieChicks.com, an apparel & accessories company geared toward the female pit bull owner. “We were founded in 2012, and we donate a portion of our sales to pit bull rescue,” explained Jess Siegfried, the company’s founder. “We are always looking for dog-friendly social events to do with the dogs. Socialization is key, no matter what breed your dog is.” Siegfried said they traveled to New York State to attend a gathering called “Woof & Wine.” “It’s always such a fun time, pet owners and animals alike enjoy the day, so we thought, why not do it ourselves in NEPA? We’ve got plenty of rescue groups in need of donations. So I reached out to Lehigh Valley Pit Bull Awareness Club (LVPAC), a 501c3 nonprofit, and they happily agreed to host the event with us.” The addition of Maiolatesi wines came about easily, since they had collaborated in the past. “As a graphic designer by trade, I’ve had the pleasure of working with Maiolatesi for many years on their labels and marketing,” Siegfried said. “Our great relationship, paired with their beautiful location and extensive selection of wines, it was a match made in heaven.” Siegfried urges worried possible attendees that well-socialized pitbulls are a pleasure to be around. “I always say their biggest muscle is their heart,” she said. “Awesome family
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Paige Patton of Scranton, with her American pit bull, Millie, attended Pittie Palooza last year.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE TIMES-TRIBUNE
pets, they are known for their resilience, forgiveness and loving personalities. It’s all about responsible animal ownership and socialization. For every negative story heard about a pit bull, there are thousands of them, living life as lazy couch potatoes surrounded by families that adore them. And now more than ever, there is an abundance of pit bulltype dogs in shelters waiting for their forever family to find them. LVPAC’s motto holds true here: Meet one before you misjudge all. Through this event, we hope to help educate the public, current pit bull owners and prospective owners about the
joys of positive pit bull ownership.” But, Siegfried streesses, “This festival is for all breeds. The more the merrier. Although many of the rescue groups in attendance will have adoptable Pit Bull-type dogs, with 11 groups present, there will be plenty of other breeds of dogs and puppies that will be available to adopt or foster.” Proceeds from the event will be collected by LVPAC and distributed amongst the nonprofits organizations in attendance. “Last year we were able to donate more than $1,500 and we hope to top that on June 10th,” she said.