Q-Seattle Events: Tacky Tourist Clubs

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Abbey of St. Joan hold a pet-friendly party this Sunday, August 19, at the Volunteer Park amphitheater [get directions] starting at 3 pm. It's called WoofStock. Pets, and their friends are welcome. The event is a benefit for the Pet Project, a volunteer service of the Seattle/King County Humane Society that helps people with AIDS keep and care for their pets.

Pets and their parents will be entertained "by the Sisters and local queens" on the stage and with activities on the grass that are sure to provide a diverting afternoon even for those of us without an animal companion. And hey, start stitching now because there will also be a pet costume contest and a photo booth for pet portraits. (Would that be a "petrait", perhaps? Dunno.)

The Humane Society and other groups will be on hand with information about caring for a pet, adopting animals and about the programs and services offered by the Humane Society. There will also be a tent set up where you can get an identification microchip embedded in your pet.

Brenda Barnette, CEO of the Seattle Humane Society, told us that the group recommends that all dogs and cats should be identified with the microchip. "It is a safe and relatively easy way to inject a tiny numbered chip under the skin for permanent identification. Within this last year, we were able to reunite a person with her dog who had been missing for 2 years. There are many stories of cats who have been returned home because of the microchip information," she said.

The event is free for both pets and their companions, but the Sisters will collect donations for Pet Project, and there will be other donating opportunities at the various tents for the pet portraits, microchipping, and so on.

There will be more surprises that the Sisters are, for now, keeping close to the vest (or -- more appropriately -- close to the scapular).

The Pet Project helps those disabled by AIDS to keep and maintain their pets.

Because studies show that the companionship of a pet can greatly improve the quality of life, we responded by initiating Pet Project, a program that services people disabled by AIDS.

In addition to providing economic relief, the program supports the unique power and healing that comes from the connection between people and pets, especially since clients may be housebound and have limited social contact or energy for daily tasks.

Pet Project matches volunteers one-on-one with clients, handling most of their pet care needs on a monthly basis, and enables clients to keep their pets while spending their limited resources on food and other living expenses for themselves. All services and supplies are donated or purchased with donated funds.

Note: Post updated at 11:55 with more information.

Labels: Gay events, gay organization, Gay Seattle, Seattle