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By EMILY REED | Special to the Reporter

ALABASTER – The 15th annual Bark in the Park was held Nov. 6, providing a good time for both pets and their owners.

“It was a great day,” said Shelby Humane public relations coordinator Apryl Stanley. “We had a wonderful turnout.”

The event is sponsored by Shelby Humane, with part of the event offering low-cost vaccine and microchip clinics on-site.

Stanley said this year, the on-site clinic saw 292 animals, a larger turnout than previous years.

“We were really surprised with how many people showed up for the clinic,” Stanley said.

The advantage of the clinic is the pricing offered for the vaccines, which include spay and neuter services for $20, microchipping for $10, and dog and cat vaccines.

Additionally, the event, which was hosted by Alabaster Parks and Recreation and held at Alabaster’s Veterans Park, invited people of all ages to enjoy the day with their pets.

“Bark in the Park is just a great time for people to get outdoors with their animals,” Stanley said. “We also had a costume contest this year, and a Dachshund race.”

There were also food trucks, live music, local vendors and a bounce house.

City of Alabaster Public Relations Manager Neal Wagner said the Parks and Recreation Department was happy to help with facilitating and setting up the event, and the city enjoyed seeing such a strong turnout.

“It is a great event for the city, because the goal of Bark in the Park is to support the important work the Humane Society does every day,” Wagner said. “It is a big fundraiser for the organization, and many pets get adopted by loving families at the event every year. Plus, it is just a fun day for our residents and their dogs to come out and enjoy a day that caters specifically to them. We’re also blessed to have one of the top dog parks in the nation at Veterans Park, and Bark in the Park is always a good opportunity to showcase that as well.”

In addition to a large crowd for the on-site vaccine clinic, Stanley said seven dogs were adopted by families.

The event was not held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Stanley said this year’s turnout was great for the community.

While dogs were adopted at the event, Stanley said the shelter is currently at capacity with the amount of animals needing homes. She encourages anyone interested in finding a pet to seek out one from the shelter.

For more information about pet adoption, visit Shelbyhumane.org, call 205-699-3916 or check Shelby Humane’s Facebook page.