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An array of fashionably-dressed dogs will strut their stuff on the catwalk in a bid to raise funds for a shelter as well as awareness for strays in need of aid and fur-ever loving homes.
Rotaract Bahrain and Bahrain Animal Rescue Centre (BARC) will be staging a Pet Fashion Show on Friday (August 26) at Wagalag dog park in Hamala, featuring a fun evening out for the entire family and their four-legged friends from 5pm to 10pm.
The concept came about after the not-for-profit Rotaract group reached out to the caring centre to lend a helping hand.
“One of our directors contacted BARC’s Soha Al Awadhi and asked how we could help,” said Rotaract Bahrain president Razan Jamal, who suggested the fashion show idea.
“The response to this question was heart-wrenching. Food was, of course, a huge priority, but she mentioned diesel and it was a bit confusing.
“Apparently, the shelter is built on an agricultural land which means they cannot have electricity there. They use generators and due to insufficient funding, they can only run them six hours a day. Shelter animals were passing out from the heat.
“They need diesel to run generators and hence the need for diesel donation. Razan also mentioned that there are more than 500 animals in a place which can only hold 250, and like any other shelter, they have massive pending veterinary bills that they need help with.
“We discussed their needs at our next board meeting and needless to say, every board member was up for the project. The idea to make it a bazaar environment was developed so that people with or without pets can enjoy their Friday evening while watching the show.”
Registrations for the event were still rolling in during the beginning of the week. The organisers expect a minimum turnout of 50 attendees and at least 20 pets participating in the show. YouTuber KAJ, who has more than 1.5 million followers, will be joining the panel of judges.
“As for the outfits, we aren’t putting any rules,” explained Razan. “It’s for the owner to decide as some pets might not find an outfit comfortable, but could simply have a tiara or a collar on. Their walk and behaviour could become the winning factor though. The runway is for dogs, but those that have cats can walk them down the ramp in the carrier.”
Entry is BD10 per person inclusive of dinner and all proceeds will be donated to BARC in the form of prepaid vouchers for food, fuel and veterinary bill payments. Pets will enter for free.
“We want people to understand the situation at BARC,” added Razan. “Raising funds is our main goal, but we also want to shed light on volunteering at the shelter and the flight buddy programme that BARC needs help with.”
The winner of the fashion show will receive a one-day staycation with their pet at Hilton Bahrain, the first pet-friendly hotel in the kingdom. Other prizes include premium pet grooming.
“We are excited to participate in this event and taking some of the shelter dogs out for a good time at the park,” said Muna Aldaaysi, a 30-year-old BARC volunteer team leader from A’ali. “This opportunity is valuable because it gives us exposure. It also puts our lovable dogs in the spotlight as people can interact with them and get to know them as individuals.
“When people visit the shelter, they are overwhelmed by the number of animals, so it becomes difficult to have a one-on-one interaction with the intention to adopt.
“Taking dogs out of the shelter and into a more calm and fun environment gives them a chance to shine and perhaps bond with potential adopters. At the end of the day, that is our ultimate goal - finding loving homes for our furry residents.”
For details, follow @rotaractbahrain and @bahrainanimal-rescuecentre on Instagram.
