Lisa Vanderpump’s World Dog Day celebration event hosted by her Vanderpump Dogs Foundation will return to the City of West Hollywood in early December. At a regular city council meeting on Monday, September 18, 2023, the council approved Item 2.X. in the consent calendar authorizing the city’s co-sponsorship of World Dog Day on December 2, 2023. The City approved the use of Northern sections of West Hollywood Park on December 1, 2023, for set up, and December 2, 2023, for the event (December 3rd, 8th, 9th, and 10th are potential backup dates in case of inclement weather on December 1st and 2nd).
World Dog Day is a day that focuses on the celebration of dogs, 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. The 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, China.
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. Foundation hopes to end the barbaric torture through the organization’s legislative campaigns, domestic and international awareness, and rescue and rehabilitation efforts.
The first World Dog Day Event was produced and hosted by The Vanderpump Dog Foundation in 2016 in West Hollywood Park, and in Los Angeles the following year. The event returned to West Hollywood Park in 2018.
The 2022 event was held on Saturday, May 28, 2022. Event organizers reported that past events have had roughly 4,000 attendees and approximately 2,500 dogs with their guardians to celebrate the big day. Additionally, the adoption portion of the event proved to be a huge success. Countless dogs found homes, and many connections were made to provide for future adoption opportunities.
This year’s event will be held on Saturday, December 2, 2023, and promises to be equally inspiring, celebratory, but extra-special; this time, it will be winter Holiday-themed With vendors and fun winter 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 the event. The event organizers will provide adequate waste bags and waste stations to accommodate the demand. In case of inclement weather December 3rd, 8th, 9th, and 10th will be held as back-up dates. The City of West Hollywood has a history of supporting measures that promote the protection of animal rights, and the City is often recognized as one of the most animalfriendly municipalities in the nation.
To learn more on Lisa Vanderpump’s Vanderpump Dogs Foundation, visit:
https://www.vanderpumpdogs.org/
