It was a day for the dogs: local organizations host fundraising events across SW Ontario

On Saturday several local organizations kicked off fundraising events, all for a good cause.

The fifth annual dog festival was hosted at the Fox and Hound Canine Retreat in Sarnia, following a two year hiatus.

"It’s everything dog. The whole thing is to celebrate dogs and the relationships we have with them," said Donna Pyette, the executive director of the Sarnia & District Humane Society.

The event is meant to encourage dog adoption and highlight the Coldwell Banker Homes for Dogs Project.

"For over 110 years Coldwell Banker has helped people find their homes and now we’re trying to help dogs find their forever home," said Karley Chamberlain, the director of marketing at CB southwest realty.

"By partnering with Adopt-a-Pet.com, North America’s largest non-profit pet adoption website, the Coldwell Banker network has helped to find more than 40,000 dogs their furever homes.”

Amelia Humphries is one of several dog owners who adopted her nearly 2-year-old pup Fraya with help from the humane society.

"I saw her on the website and fell in love and knew I had to have her," she said. "It was all around a good experience. We got to help out the humane society by helping them versus buying one."

The donations raised from the event will go towards supporting the Sarnia & District Humane Society. According to the executive director, their goal is to raise $10,000 by the end of the day.

"Everyone has a spot in their heart for that organization and I think it really brings the community together," Katie Fuller said.

In London, the Paws on the Green fundraiser by Leads Employment also kicked off this Saturday for the first time in Wortley village.

The event showcased pet-serving entrepreneurs and local craft businesses.

"It’s the first time for entrepreneurs to sell their services, their products, showcasing their talents to get into the labour market and into the gig economy, it’s very exciting," said Wendy Lau, the CEO of Leads Employment Services.

According to Lau, proceeds from the event will go towards supporting lead’s clients with employment resources to support clients with disabilities or barriers.

"We need to support our small businesses and those that are dependent on the business they get from festivals."