The City of West Hollywood is pawsitively pumped to co-sponsor The Vanderpump Dog Foundation’s 7^th annual World Dog Day event in West Hollywood, which brings together hundreds of people and their furry friends to celebrate dogs for a day of fun and entertainment.

The 2024 World Dog Day event will take place on Saturday, May 11, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at West Hollywood Park, located at 647 N. San Vicente Boulevard. Admission is free and open to the public; canine companions must attend on a leash.  

This year’s World Dog Day will be the ultimate dog lover event! Enjoy vendors, live music, raffles, and many other activities for you and your furry friend. West Hollywood Park and the dog parks will continue to be open to the public during this year’s event. The event organizers will provide waste bags and waste stations as needed to accommodate demand.

World Dog Day is a day that focuses on the celebration of dogs. The day aims to draw attention to the amazing, empathetic creatures that dogs are, while raising awareness about global dog abuse, and very specifically the Yulin Dog Meat Festival. The Dog Meat Festival in Yulin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, begins on June 21 each year. More than 10,000 dogs are reported to be captured, transported in cages, and killed for human consumption every year for this annual event. In addition, more than 10 million dogs are killed annually in China for the dog meat trade. This festival epitomizes the cruelty of the dog trade industry. Many of the dogs are stolen from their owners. Many die during transport to the slaughterhouse after days or weeks without food or water, and others suffer illness and injury during transport, such as broken bones.

In 2016, the City of West Hollywood passed a Resolution condemning the Dog Meat Festival in Yulin. The City of West Hollywood has a long history of supporting measures that promote the protection of animal rights and the City is a recognized leader in legislation that ensures the welfare of animals. In April 2003, the City became the first municipality in the nation to prohibit cat declawing. In February 2010, the City passed an Ordinance to address the inhumane conditions endured by “puppy mill” animals by prohibiting the sale of dogs and cats in companion animal stores. In September 2013, the City’s fur Ordinance went into effect, which prohibits retail establishments from selling, trading, distributing, importing, or exporting any fur product.

The Vanderpump Dog Foundation was formed to aid in ending this international atrocity and to also better the lives of dogs domestically. The Foundation is built on a platform of education, legislation, and activism. Through the organization’s legislative campaigns, domestic and international awareness, and rescue and rehabilitation efforts, it hopes to end the barbaric torture once and for all.

The City of West Hollywood invites canine members of the community and their humans to sniff out a spot and romp around at the City’s two dog parks at West Hollywood Park. A small dog park and large dog park are located on each side of the park’s basketball courts and each area features expanses of open space with shade trees, small mounds and turf terraces, and water stations. In addition, the City operates the William S. Hart Park and Off-Leash Dog Park located at 8341 De Longpre Avenue.

For more information about upcoming dog events in the City of West Hollywood, please call (323) 848-6460. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

For up-to-date information about City of West Hollywood news and events, follow @wehocity on social media, sign-up for news updates at www.weho.org/email, and visit the City’s calendar of meetings and events at www.weho.org/calendar. West Hollywood City Hall is open for walk-in services at public counters or by appointment by visiting www.weho.org/appointments. City Hall services are accessible by phone at (323) 848-6400 and via website at www.weho.org. Receive text updates by texting “WeHo” to (323) 848-5000.

For reporters and members of the media seeking additional information about the City of West Hollywood, please contact the City of West Hollywood’s Public Information Officer, Sheri A. Lunn, at (323) 848-6391 or slunn@weho.org.