The City of West Hollywood is co-sponsoring Lisa Vanderpump’s Vanderpump Dog Foundation’s 7th annual World Dog Day event in West Hollywood, bringing together hundreds of people and their furry friends to celebrate dogs for a day of fun and entertainment.
The World Dog Day 2023 event will take place on Saturday, December 2, 2023, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at West Hollywood Park, located at 647 N. San Vicente Boulevard. Admission is free and open to the public; canine companions must attend on a leash.
World Dog Day is a day that focuses on a celebration of dogs. The day aims to draw attention to the amazing, empathetic creatures that dogs are, while raising awareness about global dog abuse, specifically the Yulin Dog Meat Festival. The Dog Meat Festival in Yulin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, begins on June 21 each year. More than 10,000 dogs are reported to be captured, transported in cages, and killed for human consumption every year for this annual event. In addition, more than 10 million dogs are killed annually in China for the dog meat trade. This festival epitomizes the cruelty of the dog trade industry. Many of the dogs are stolen from their owners. Many die during transport to the slaughterhouse after days or weeks without food or water, and others suffer illness and injury during transport, such as broken bones. In 2016, the City of West Hollywood passed a resolution condemning the Dog Meat Festival in Yulin.
The Vanderpump Dog Foundation was formed to aid in ending this international atrocity, and to also better the lives of dogs domestically. The Foundation is built on a platform of education, legislation, and activism. Through the organization’s legislative campaigns, domestic and international awareness, and rescue and rehabilitation efforts, it hopes to end the barbaric torture once and for all.
This year’s World Dog Day event will be holiday-themed with vendors and fun holiday activities, such as meeting Santa Paws, for all canine members of the community and their guardians to enjoy. West Hollywood Park and the dog parks will continue to be open to the public during this year’s event. The event organizers will provide waste bags and waste stations as needed to accommodate demand.
The City of West Hollywood invites canine members of the community and their humans to sniff out a spot and romp around at the City’s two dog parks at West Hollywood Park. A small dog park and large dog park are located on each side of the park’s basketball courts and each area features expanses of open space with shade trees, small mounds and turf terraces, and water stations. In addition, the City operates the William S. Hart Park and Off-Leash Dog Park located at 8341 De Longpre Avenue.
