Little dachshund Houston was one of the smallest four-legged friends at the inaugural Illawarra Pet Festival but the event still gave him, and his humans, a chance to socialise.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The two-day market features activities, education, live displays, competitions, food, stalls, produce, live music and kids' activities at Bulli Showground.
Dogs were just as welcome to walk around as their two-legged owners.
People enjoyed demonstrations from dog trainers and a cup of coffee at the pet-friendly cafe.
Houston's owner Brodie Howe said she wanted to attend the event to check out the pet products on offer and within a couple of minutes had already bought some dog treats.
"I wanted to do some shopping and look at new dog products such as beds and coats as my mum owns a boarding kennel and I am a breeder," she said.
"We like to stay up to date on the latest trends.
"It is nice to see all the dogs walking around, everyone seems happy and all the stallholders have been lovely."
One of those stallholders was Amanda McKay whose love of pet rescue drives her to cook dog treats in her home kitchen in-between her full-time, shift work.
She then donates all the proceeds to different rescues.
"Having a stall at a market is a great way to get my products out into the community," the All Natural Homemade Dog Treats by Amanda owner said.
"I often say my full time job funds my passion job.
"I don't take out any money, even for ingredients, as a lot of smaller rescues struggle to survive week to week, so I hope my donations help.
"I found this is my way I can make a difference."
Ms McKay's tuna bones were the crowd favourite.
Anna Steinhaus and her Australian Shepard Chase came in after seeing the sign advertised in the area, and enjoyed the variety of the stalls.
"It is good we can bring the dog into the market," she said.
Dog behaviour trainer from Pet Praise Rebecca Geloven was doing three demonstrations each day.
"A couple are already full and people are coming up and asking questions," she said.
"I didn't know what to expect for the first event and I was worried about how all the dogs would go together but there is a lot of room and they all seem to be happy and comfortable.
"The vibe is awesome. The market is a great opportunity for people to come out with their dogs and they can get some education, see training and grab some products."
The festival runs until 3pm each day, and will back on Sunday from 9am. Entry is $3 per person.