Lost Pets host first Pet Lovers Craft Fair

The holidays are nearly here again. Have you finished (or even started) your shopping?

If you haven’t, or you’ve neglected picking up some holiday treats for your pets, you’re in luck. The Winter Park Lost Pets Foundation is hosting its first Pet Lovers Craft Fair Saturday, Nov. 24. 

The fair, to be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. outside the Wagging Willow dog-training store at 3756 Howell Branch Road, will have 10 to 15 Winter Park vendors and a number of creatives selling homemade gifts such as crafted jewelry, tree ornaments, stocking stuffers, and collars for dogs and cats.

“I think it’s so cool that when I put the word out and asked people if they were willing to sell something,” Lost Pets foundation co-founder Judy Charuhas said. “They said, ‘Oh my gosh, yes!’ 

“There are all these craft fairs and all these things that go around the holidays, but I’ve never seen one specifically with pet items,” she said. “It’s hard to put it into words. It’s an emotional thing that everybody’s doing something to help us out, and we’re all helping each other out.”

The Lost Pets Foundation is an extension of WinterParkLostPets.com, a website for posting photos of local animals in the hopes they can be reunited with their owners. The organization is close to having reunited 1,800 lost pets. 

The fair will be the result of the hard work of several different animal nonprofit organizations, all of which will receive part of the profits for their respective animal-advocacy initiatives. The Florida-and-Maine animal-rescue service Pixel Fund will be bringing several craft products to the festival. Greyhounds In Motion, a greyhound-advocacy group, will be selling dog collars, as well as advocating for greyhound awareness and adoption following Florida’s greyhound-racing ban with Florida Amendment 13. Wagging Willow also will be offering holiday photos of customers and their pets as part of a “Shop Local” initiative. 

Charuhas said she has had the idea for the fair for some time. Because this is the first year that Winter Park Lost Pets will not be attending the Winter Park Christmas Parade, she decided it would be the perfect time to put in some effort and get the event off the ground. 

It’s been a quick enterprise — work started on the fair in earnest in October. Charuhas hopes the fair will return next holiday season. 

IF YOU GO

Pet Lovers Holiday Craft Fair

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Saturday, Nov. 24

WHERE: 3756 Howell Branch Road, Winter Park

WEBSITE: cityofwinterpark.org/event/pet-lovers-holiday-craft-fair 

PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS:

 Greyhounds In Motion

 The Pixel Fund

 Poodle and Pooch

 Wagging Willow

 Winter Park Lost Pets