Hundreds attend pet expo in Mississauga with furry friends in tow

Hundreds of people took their furry friends to an event in Mississauga billed as the largest indoor pet festival in Canada on the weekend.

The Canadian Pet Expo, with more than 300 vendors at the International Centre, featured celebrity pets, a doggy dating game, a canine all-star show, a rabbit agility show, a dog race called flyball, the cutest guinea pig and rabbit contest, plus an appearance by the Easter bunny.

The event promotes responsible pet ownership.

Otis, a nine-month-old German Continental Giant rabbit, greeted visitors to the small animal village at the expo. Otis at nearly 20 poundsis a free-range house rabbit in Toronto and known as "the big boy bunny" on Instagram. He was one of the celebrity pets on hand on Saturday.

"Otis likes to see people," says his owner Pierce Grey. "He likes to be petted and enjoyed. He's playing with the relay here. He's well behaved bunny. He likes to do his thing."

An obstacle course of sorts surrounded Otis at the small animal village. He climbed up steps and jumped through hoops. He rested at the edges of the course and let himself be petted. All in all, Otis was a good sport on Saturday.

Grey said having a rabbit in a big city, such as Toronto, may be a lot easier than having other kinds of pets, such as dogs that need lots of exercise, but it's important to remember that having any pet is work. It's a commitment, lasting several years, that requires effort, knowledge and daily care.

"Just know what you are doing before you purchase an animal. It's important," Grey said.

And do research on the animal before talking to people who are trying to sell the animal, he added. For example, he said it's good to know that larger rabbits are calmer than smaller rabbits, "much like dogs are."

Grey recommended that parents not buy a rabbit for their children at Easter.

"Animals shouldn't be pets for people who aren't aware they're getting one. But I mean, if you wanted a rabbit, and you did all your research, when you get a rabbit is irrelevant, whether it's your birthday or Christmas. It's the reasoning behind that becomes the problem," he said.

"All pets are equal amounts of work no matter what. The difference is the amount of years."

Cindy Cherry, president of Don Cherry's Pet Rescue Foundation and Don Cherry's daughter, staffed a booth at the expo. She said she was personally promoting responsible pet ownership at the festival.

The foundation, based in Toronto, raises funds for pet rescue organizations through the sale of pet products.

"The going saying is 'Adopt, don't shop,' " she said. "There are so many unwanted dogs out there. That is the socially acceptable thing to do."

Cherry said rescue dogs make wonderful pets, they appreciate loving homes, and are usually fostered before they are adopted to ensure they are socialized properly.

"You can't go wrong," she said. "There are a lot of great pet rescue organizations out there."

Cherry said adopting a rescue animal means saving a life and the foundation is trying to encourage that activity.

"We want to make it cool."