Since dogs are usually not allowed in air-conditioned malls, we grabbed the chance to visit i12 Katong Mall with Donna for the three days it was dog-friendly over the weekend of the Paw Fest 2017 event.
I actually almost didn’t go because it was not clear to me what program they have planned at what time on which day. And also because I already had a busy weekend.
However, I was tempted to go mainly after seeing photos posted by others. HAHA.
The following photos were the results.
Halloween-themed Paw Fest 2017 at i12 Katong Mall
We were there mainly for the opportunity to photograph Donna with the Halloween set-up at i12 Katong Mall’s Paw Fest.
Singapore Special mongrel dogs seem most often asked to act the role of the fierce, barking stray dog for commercials and TV shows, at least it seemed to me. So I was very happy that one media company has bucked the trend. And Donna was very lucky to be involved!
When Qanvast, an interior design and home renovation portal, asked if Donna can take part in a Pet Hacks video collaboration with them, my response was a no-brainer.
No, no, we didn’t mean Pet Hacks literally 😅😅😅
Of course!
What better way to show how adoptable and adaptable a Singapore Special dog in a flat can be than to show her in a video that talks about living in that environment?
😴 I don’t ever wanna get off my comfy human bed in this car, he says. 😴
I’m just so amused by all his different sleeping poses on the lap, below the table, on the table, all while we had lunch at The Workbench Bistro. You can find this Japanese Spitz dog @somewhitecookie. ;)
According to the Internet, Japanese spitz dogs weigh an average of 5-10kg. Not too heavy to put on the lap for a hug. It was like hugging a soft, fluffy wool rug, but rounder, warmer and nicer. HAHA! :P
Star Wars Day falls on May 4, which is also the start of the Star Wars Festival at the Gardens by the Bay, Supertree Grove. And that’s where I headed with Donna for an evening walk.
Where’s Donna? Can you find her in this photo? :P
Find Donna! Where is she?
We reached at around 5.30pm, and there wasn’t much of a crowd so it was easy to take photos with dog. :P
Planning a hike with dog along the Henderson Waves – Southern Ridges – HortPark – Kent Ridge Park trail? If you have no time to pack food, here are some cafes and restaurants within 3 – 8 min drive of the HortPark that you can consider to eat at ;)
Ulu Ulu Pet Cafe is officially opening this weekend, check out my events page for more details!
Anyway, Donna, P and I went allllllllllllllllll the way to D’Kranji Farm Resort to check out this new dog-friendly cafe in the north-west of Singapore. Come see it with us in this video!
The Dog Adoption Series is a series of interviews with Singapore mongrel dog owners, to highlight the joys and the issues that they face when they adopt a mongrel dog.
Leyla the Black Stray Dog Living with White Spitz Sisters
Puppy Leyla with her Spitz sisters – Fluffy and Kira
Wes is dad to three pups. Mornings would start with breakfast for the three, and then Fluffy, Kira and Leyla would take turns to pee and poo. Wes is their primary care-giver so if the morning happens to be free for him, walks would happen. But if life gets in the way, then they will walk at night instead.
But life wasn’t always like this. Once upon a time there was just Fluffy and Kira, the family’s two Japanese Spitz dogs. So I was curious why Wes chose to adopt a stray black mongrel puppy after his two fluffy, white Japanese Spitz dogs.
If you are curious like me, the mystery ends here! :P
Mention “$2 shop” and you’ll likely think of Daiso. Ang Mo Kio has no Daiso, BUT it has the Mijyi Dollar-Up Mart. Unless priced otherwise, most items in this $2 shop sells at – $2 – of course!
Entrance of Mijyi $2 shop is located right next to Pet Lovers Centre in Ang Mo Kio Central (the MacDonalds building opposite Ang Mo Kio hub). So you can hit 2 places for a spot of pet shopping or pet window-shopping all at once! ;) Google map
Come with me up this dingy escalator to check out what pet goods this $2 store has to offer!
Pet Expo 2018 is coming again! The upcoming Pet Expo opens its doors to visitors 06-08 April, Singapore Expo Hall 7, 11am – 8 pm daily.
For the new dog owner whom this may be unfamiliar, the Pet Expo is an annual pet fair and Singapore’s largest according to the Pet Expo site here. Typically, the fair comprises a mix of:
Dog show, obedience competition and grooming competition organised by the SKC (Singapore Kennel Club)
Entertaining games and demonstrations
Educational talks and sharing
Puppies for adoption
Sale of pet merchandise
And did I mention, you can bring your dog along even thought it’s indoor? :P It’s probably one of the few air-conditioned event venues you can bring your dog to in the year!
My top tips for conquering Pet Expo 2018!! LOL :P
Looking for some entertainment? Plan your visit using the programme guide!
If activities outside of retail therapy is what you’re interested in, you need to look at the programme guide so you can plan to be there when most of the activities that interest you are happening!
If retail therapy is exactly your thing, and you are going there looking for discounts, plan and do your research well in advance!
Check out the exhibitor list when it’s available so you don’t make a wasted trip. Check out the floor plan so you will not miss the booth you are looking for because of the overwhelming crowd. That happened to me. #truestoryDid I succumb to pressure from seemingly cheap deals before? Yes, I did. Only to realise after I got home and googled that the dog food I bought is actually food I wouldn’t have bought with or without a discount. HAH!
Follow your favourite merchants on their social media to get first hand news of their offers/activities at Pet Expo (I’m sure you’re already doing this anyway. Here’s a pre-Pet Expo 2018 activity that’s occurring before the actual event!
Jio your friends to go!
For a lot of people, going to the Pet Expo is a social event. You bring your dog, you meet up and you mingle. And if you are going shopping for dog, it really helps to have an extra pair of hands to tend to the dogs!
Cookie’s mom helping to keep an eye on Donna while I went to the food tent to get human food at a different event :P
If you’re interested, read about our previous experiences at Pet Expo below! :)
— The post below is published 27 March 2017 —
I thought I would do a rundown of the Pet Expo event in Singapore from 2014 to date starting from most recent. As I was typing this, I realised even though I missed attending it in 2016, the Pet Expo pretty much shaped some of my thoughts and interests as a new, not so savvy dog owner in the earlier years when I did attend! :P
I think this was also the year when friends I know started to evaluate their purchases there more closely. Was what they were buying at the Pet Expo value for money, if you were to count in the entrance fee as part of the cost? The free health talks that I attended in 2015 were also ticketed in 2016.
2015 – Pet Expo
This was the second year I would attend the Pet Expo. If you know me well-enough, you’ll know I’m pretty goal-oriented. Per my modus operandi, I surveyed the Pet Expo program and decided the day and time based on the session I would most like to attend. This time round, it was a health talk on allergies.
There was a series of health talks that were free to public at the Pet Expo in 2015. Donna and I came late but were lucky the talk started late too!! :P The talk we were attending was on pet allergies by Dr Simon Quek of the Mount Pleasant vet group.
It was a really great talk that introduced me to the different allergy tests and Dr Quek was very candid about how most of them weren’t very accurate. You can read my original post on what I learnt on allergies through my conversations with Dr Quek and also Dr Joanna Paul from Australia here on my post – How to test if your dog is allergic to chicken and other food.
Dr Quek speaking about his topic of choice – pet allergies at the Singapore Pet Expo in 2015
I think it was also in 2015 if I’m not wrong, the Singapore Specials Club decided to have a largest Singapore Specials meet up at the Pet Expo. I was sad to miss that since it was on a different day.
2014 – Pet Expo
By the time Pet Expo 2014 rolled around, we had Donna with us for slightly more than a year already. She had become pretty good being off-leash, and I was feeling confident and decided to bring her to get a taste of doggy agility at the workshop at the Pet Expo.
This was the main reason we went to the Pet Expo that year. I have always found crowds overwhelming, and as someone new to the scene, I didn’t really know what to look out for. So we didn’t really check out the stalls much. :P You can read more about Donna’s experience on my blog post – Our first dog agility experience!
Donna jump, jump, jump at Pet Expo 2014
I must say it was interesting for me to revisit those feelings and thoughts 3 years after writing them. #whyiblog ;)
And like I said at the start of the post, attending various events at the Pet Expo contributed to the shaping some of my thoughts and interests as a new, not so savvy dog owner in the earlier years when I did attend! :P
Hello, chit chat!
So that’s my round-up of Pet Expo through the years. Are you planning to visit the Pet Expo this year? Let me know what you are keen to check out there and the activities that most interest you this year OR in previous years in the comments below or on Facebook! ;)
weliveinaflat health articles get the added insight from our vet partner, the lovely Dr Jo from Creature Clinic, so you may be sure what we say is credible. ;)
