There were cute ones, furry ones, cuddly ones and mischievous ones – and that’s just the people who attended the second annual Puppy and Kitten Love Fest at Mr Crown on Sunday.
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Two levels inside the Wollongong club were devoted to (undoubtedly the world’s) most adorable rescue puppies and kittens available for adoption through the Wollongong Animal Rescue Network (WARN).
Dubbed the pet version of “speed dating”, hundreds of couples and families lined up for up to an hour to meet and greet prospective new fur children.
Those who felt an instant connection with a favoured feline or believed they may have found a pawtastic puppy will be able to apply to WARN to adopt said bundle of joy/terror/poop.
Corrimal mother Nicole Wilson and her two girls Amelia, 6, and Nicole 4, spent much of the morning enthusiastically studying the cat lounge.
“Amelia desperately wants a kitten,” Mrs Wilson said.
“We have a dog Walter, a black Labrador, and six chickens, and Walter is so good with the chickens, he’d love a kitten.”
Mrs Wilson said she would only consider a rescue animal for a pet.
“There’s just too many animals without homes already,” she said.
Woonona animal lover and vegan Rebecca Wall also said she would only chose a rescue dog when it came time to get a friend for her six-year-old Boxer, Lola.
“I’ve volunteered at the pound before; there’s so many animals there, it’s such a waste and just so heartbreaking,” Ms Wall said.
“I don’t think I could ever buy from a breeder when so many abandoned animals need homes.”
Longing prompted Georgia Mills to turn up to Mr Crown on Sunday.
“I miss my own dog Cody so much, he’s living in Merimbula with my parents,” the University of Wollongong student said.
“I’ve been here since 2014 without a dog so at least here I can get my fix. I think I miss my dog more than my family!”
Event organsier and founder of WARN, Noami John, said she hoped those who attended would use the opportunity of meeting the animals to think adopting rescue animals before going to breeders.
“We want to change people’s minds about rescue animals,” she said.
“People don’t need a purebred puppy or kitten to enjoy them as pets.”
One devotee to rescue animals is Jess Rodriguez, who has joined WARN as a rescue animal foster carer.
She had multiple cats and a dog in the Dapto home she shares with her husband and daughter and currently looks after Mario, a 20-week old black kitten up for adoption.
“He’s so smoochey and cuddly, he’d make a great companion,” she said.
