Blessing of the Animals at St. Francis De Sales Church (Archive photo/West Philly Local).

September and October are usually months when a lot of cool events for pets and pet owners take place in the neighborhood. This weekend is filled with such events. Three events will be held on Saturday and one on Sunday (see more info below). Please note that the annual “Bark in the Park” event, with various contests and prizes for dogs, will be held on October 11 October 12 at Clark Park (43rd and Chester), starting at 2 p.m. No registration is necessary, just show up!

Saturday, Sept 27

Low-Cost Cat & Dog Vaccine Clinic/ Free Physical Exam at UPenn Alpha Psi (4002 Pine St), 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Bring your cat or dog to a low-cost vaccine clinic organized by Penn Vet students at their Alpha Psi fraternity house at 4002 Pine St. The following services will be available at the clinic:

• Rabies and Distemper Vaccines: $10 for both
• Deworming, flea and tick treatments, microchipping ($20)
• Free physical exam by vet students

Questions? Email: upennalphapsi@gmail.com

‘End of Summer’ Sidewalk Sale at Baltimore Pet Shoppe (4532 Baltimore Ave), 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. 

Baltimore Pet Shoppe is holding its annual “End of Summer” Sidewalk Sale on Saturday. There will be huge discounts (30-75% off!) on pet toys, accessories and treats.

Doggie Strut and Photo Booth at Coffee Market (45th and Pine), Noon – 1 p.m. 

Sign up your dog for the annual “Doggie Strut” event taking place at Coffee Market (formerly Earth Cup Coffee) this Saturday. This free event includes nail clipping, ear cleaning and an info booth by Penn Vet students. There will be contests, awesome prizes and giveaways from Baltimore Pet Shoppe, and a photo booth (the expert judges will decide on 12 centerfolds for Coffee Market calendar). “Instead of specifying categories for the competition, this year the owners get to invent their category,” says Coffee Market owner Natasa Brkanin. Owners also get awarded with a coffee market gift certificate. Stop by Coffee Market or Baltimore Pet Shoppe (45th and Baltimore) to sign up. For more information, visit Coffee Market’s Facebook page.

Sunday, Sept 28

Blessing of the Animals at St. Francis De Sales Church (4625 Springfield Ave), 12 p.m.

Bring your little best friend(s) to be blessed in honor of the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the friend of all of God’s creatures. The event starts at Noon. Enter through the school yard on Farragut St. Please keep dogs on a leash. For more information, call 215-222-2255.

Thinking of adding a new feline buddy or two in your house? Look no further than your own neighborhood!

Cheech is “about the sweetest cat ever,” says Tracylea Byford who fostered him for several months. (Photos courtesy of Project MEOW)

Cross-eyed Cheech and his buddy Ping Pong are in the Baltimore Pet Shoppe window waiting to meet their new humans. While they don’t need to be adopted together, each must go to a home with another feline playmate. Cheech’s comical look will have you laughing, and he loves nothing more than a good romp with the feather wand, or a cuddling after he’s tired.

Ping Pong? Well, this boy is so active that the photographer had to wait until she had tired out both boys to get a picture of him, since he apparently is in constant motion when he’s awake. These are gentle boys, they get along with other cats, and are safe with children. While they have not been around dogs, it appears they would adjust to one with proper introduction.

Apply to adopt either or both kittens at the Baltimore Pet Shoppe (4532 Baltimore Ave) or go to: projectmeowadoptions@gmail.com to request a PAWS application.

(Tracylea Byford of Project MEOW contributed to this post).

Oolong, Matcha, Pekoe, and Chai are four adorable black and caramel colored male Guinea Pigs ready to be adopted. Oolong is the biggest boy, about 1 year old, and he is the leader of the pack. Matcha is the teenage brother, 6-12 months old, who is still trying to figure out if he wants to be a mature adult, or a rowdy youngster. Pekoe and Chai are the babies of the family, 2-6 months old, they are tiny and still learning the ropes on how to be good little piggies.

These poor little guys were surrendered to the ACCT Philly animal shelter and are now hanging out in their big, bright window enclosure at the Baltimore Pet Shoppe, greeting all the passersby with their chorus of squeaks, grunts and chatters. All four piggies are healthy and have silky, soft coats. They are friendly and inquisitive. They are available for adoption individually (adoption fee is $20 each) or in pairs, but with ACCT Philly’s Adopt-A-Buddy program, you pay only one fee, and the second adoptee is free of charge.

Guinea pigs do best when they have another of their kind to talk to and play with, so if you already have one at home, consider adopting a buddy. If you are interested in one of the babies, why not take an older role model to help him grow up?

Stop by Baltimore Pet Shoppe at 4532 Baltimore Ave any day to meet these carefree critters. Business hours are 10 am – 7 p.m. weekdays, 10 – 6 Saturday, and 11 – 6 Sunday. In most cases you can adopt and take home your new pet same day. As an added bonus, Baltimore Pet Shoppe offers a 15% discount off any purchases you make when you adopt a shelter pet.

If you have questions please call the Shoppe at 215-222-PETS (7387) or email Natalie@acctphilly.org

If you happen to walk by the Baltimore Pet Shoppe window and see a pair of cute beady eyes looking at you, don’t be surprised; the store that has always helped our feline friends find homes is now hosting adoptions of small animals. In addition to cat adoptions, Baltimore Pet Shoppe will occasionally have hamsters, guinea pigs, and rabbits available for adoption.

Currently, there are a pair of hamsters waiting to go to their new homes, so stop by the shop to meet them. Check out the Baltimore Pet Shoppe website or Facebook page for more information.

Little critters like Strawberry, a female calico guinea pig that got adopted the day she arrived, are available for adoption through ACCT Philly. You can meet them at Baltimore Pet Shoppe.

When the weather heats up and folks start opening their windows and doors more, many pets venture outside and many go missing. You can’t always prevent your cat or dog running out the door or sneaking out the window, but it’s easier to find them if they are microchipped and tagged.

If you want to microchip your pet, PAWS clinic might be a good option, especially for folks on tighter budgets. PAWS does microchipping for $20, which is about a third of what vets usually charge. PAWS is located at 2900 Grays Ferry Avenue. No appointments needed on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. For more information, visit their website or call 215-298-9680.

It is also important to have an ID tag on your pet. The style of tags and the amount of information on them may vary, but they should include your pet’s name and your phone number. Baltimore Pet Shoppe (4532 Baltimore Ave) has a new engraving machine and can now make pet ID tags instantly. Visit the shop’s website for more information and for tips on finding lost pets.

(Thank you Linda Lee for contributing to this story. See more in Comments).