London, Ont. festival raises $55K for Humane Society, online auction remains open

The Humane Society of London and Middlesex said it raised $55,000 in the 2023 Bark in the Park Festival — and if you missed it, the animal shelter said there’s still time to get involved.

Thousands of people and their dogs attended the Bark in the Park Festival in support of the Humane Society on June 11.

The festival is for the dogs, but they weren’t the only ones smiling. If humans had tails, you would have seen them wagging too.

People of all ages had a blast at Plunkett Estate, watching dock diving, playing games, and taking photos, all for a great cause.

“It serves as a fun way for our organization to celebrate dogs and their people while raising funds to help the animals in our care. As our largest signature event, revenue from Bark in the Park Festival is critical to help the animals in our care 365 days of the year,” said Steve Ryall, executive director at the Humane Society London and Middlesex.

This year’s event was filled with entertainment, including some talented pooches from The Ultimutts – a group of disabled performance dogs who have become quite the celebrities here in southwestern Ontario for overcoming adversity and mastering incredible tricks.

“It’s really fantastic. To know that we have such support here in our community means so much to us,” Ryall added. “Our mission is to create a humane and compassionate community for all animals. We can’t do that alone.”

If you missed the 2023 Bark in the Park event, Ryall said there’s still time to support the animals at the Humane Society through an online auction — a new addition to the organization’s fundraising efforts.

“We realized not everyone could attend the festival itself, and we wanted to provide a way for everyone to participate in the festivities and have fun supporting the animals. We have all types of items available in the auction, thanks to generous community businesses. From experiences such as “Crush a Bus!” to animal first aid courses,” he said.