OKEECHOBEE — Okeechobee Cell Phone Repairs and Smiles & Wiggles Photography are getting ready to host an inaugural Bark in the Park event to benefit Okeechobee Animal Control.

The event will be held on Saturday, March 18 from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Kiwanis Park located across the street from Los Cocos on Northwest Second Street.

All doggies are welcome to come and get their pictures taken with the Easter Bunny. There will be many vendors there including arts and crafts; food vendors serving empanadas, hamburgers, hotdogs, barbecue, desserts, sushi and more.

Some of the vendors will be donating all of their profits and some will donate a portion.

There will be nail trimming available with 100 % of the proceeds going to Okeechobee Animal Control. All proceeds from the photos will be donated as well. 

There will be t-shirts and a raffle with proceeds going to animal control.

Possibly most important of all, Amy Fisher from animal control will be there with dogs who are looking for a new home.

Sheriff Noel Stephen is even expected to attend with some activities for the kids up his sleeve.

At Christmas time, Judy Throop of Smiles & Wiggles Photography and Christina Honeycutt from Okeechobee Cell Phone Repairs organized a similar event, also benefiting animal control, where pet owners could bring their animals to have their pictures taken with Santa Paws. “It was a great success,” said Throop.

The money will be used to start a spay and neuter clinic. It will also help with emergency situations for the animals, things like heart worm treatments or surgeries. They have also used donations for new beds for the dogs. Animal Control is supported by the county and falls under the sheriff’s department. The money they are allotted is not always enough to pay for the extra things they need.

Won’t you come out and support this wonderful cause? Maybe you will be lucky enough to go home with a new family member.