As the head of the World Parrot Refuge in Coombs, Wendy Huntbach understandably has a soft spot for birds.
However, she is well aware that, besides birds, dogs and cats, people in the Oceanside area have a wide variety of animal friends, everything from guinea pigs to eels.
Because of this, Huntbach is organizing a special event this Sunday to celebrate World Animal Day.
World Animal Day was started in 1931 at a convention of ecologists in Florence as a way of highlighting the plight of endangered species.
Although World Animal Day is celebrated on Oct. 4, that falls on a Tuesday this year, so Huntbach is holding her celebration on Oct. 2.
The Coombs event will feature a series of pet parades, where area residents bring their pets, be they bird, cat, dog, elephant or snake, to the parking lot of the World Parrot Refuge on Alberni Highway, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“We’ll have pet parades and prizes,” Huntbach said. “Buckerfields has been marvellous.
Huntbach said she’s expecting some displays and possibly residents from the Pacific Northwest Raptors refuge to show up as well, along with displays from the local rabbit refuge.
For more information call Huntbach at 250-951-1166.
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