Meisel Park will ‘go to the dogs’ this year as Berkeley Heights-based Home for Good Dog Rescue brings its Seventh Annual “Bark-a-Que” & Dog Adoption Event to Springfield, NJ for the first time on Sept. 9.
From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the pet-friendly event, which attracts up to 3,000 attendees each year, will feature rescue dog adoptions, food and merchandise vendors, family activities, professional photos, canine contests—including the annual ‘Mr. and Mrs. Bark-a-Que’ Costume Contest—and on-site prizes and giveaways.
“We’re so thrilled to welcome our community to join us for a day of food and fun as we celebrate the more than 5,300 dogs we have rescued since our inception,” Richard Errico, Home for Good’s co-founder and treasurer, said. “We hope to see so many new faces in 2017 at our exciting new venue in Springfield.”
In addition to welcoming the general public and all of Home for Good’s adoptive families, “Bark-a-Que” hosts the rescue’s largest adoption event of the year. In 2016, the festivities placed nearly 30 dogs with loving permanent households.
“We are committed to rescuing dogs from high-kill shelters throughout South Carolina and Georgia, nurturing them at our rescue facility in Aiken, SC, and transporting them northward to New Jersey for adoption,” Errico explained.
As a 100-percent foster-based organization, Home for Good then places each animal with a volunteer family rather than in a kennel or shelter until adoption into a loving, permanent home.
“Seeing our dogs go to good families makes all the hard work worth it,” long-time volunteer Anna Newmark of Warren, NJ said. “But even if you’re not ready to adopt right now, ‘Bark-a-Que’ is definitely a great time for adults and kids of all ages. It’s just a fun day for any pet lover!”
This year, Home for Good Dog Rescue is encouraging attendees to register early as “Bark-a-Que VIPs” by visiting www.HomeforGoodDogs.org. For a suggested donation to the organization’s rescue mission, families can avoid the line at the park entrance on Sept. 9.
Home for Good Dog Rescue is a 100% foster-based, non-profit 501(c)(3) dog rescue established in 2010 in Summit, NJ with offices in Berkeley Heights, NJ. We rescue homeless dogs from high-kill shelters in the South, which are overflowing with unwanted dogs on the brink of being euthanized. We socialize, care for, and provide them life-saving medical care at our property in Aiken, SC, transport them to our rescue in New Jersey, and nurture them in our network of foster families while they await adoption into loving homes – giving them a second chance at life.
(above) Long-time Home for Good foster Simonti Choudhuri of Berkeley Heights, NJ, pictured with a puppy adopted at last year’s “Bark-a-Que” has welcomed over 300 dogs into her home through Home for Good’s foster program.
Photo by Gail Ryan
(above) “Bark-a-Que” is a pet-friendly event attracting hundreds of dog owners each year. Photo by Jessica Biamonte
