BERKELEY – Animal lovers and music lovers have a lot in common, as they both enjoy some of the best things in life, and they came out to the Rock 2 Adopt event to enjoy some tunes and meet some pets.
The organizer, Donna Torres said that when she announces a date for this event, bands quickly sign on. All of them are animal lovers.
Torres has been organizing this for 12 years, although this is the first time it’s been at Veterans Park in Bayville. It used to be at Popcorn Park Zoo in Lacey, but the fest outgrew that location.
It’s probably because there’s so much going on. There was the main stage of Veterans Park. There was a line of food trucks selling ice cream, coffee, and other treats. This served as a kind of sound wall, because behind this was a “pawcoustic stage” for performances of a lower decibel level.
Titan Championship Wrestling set up a ring off to the side, gifting people with a free performance of athletic showmanship.
There were 34 vendors selling such things as jewelry, art, and baked goods. Floral arrangements and 3-D printed toys were side by side with hand-made soaps and lotions.
Brick resident John Bernyk was selling guitars that he made out of cigar boxes. He even performed on the pawcoustic stage.
The appropriately named Baron Black had sugar skulls and lanterns he carved from wood.
Ultimately, the goal is to find homes for homeless animals, Torres said.
When it was at Popcorn Park, “we adopted out every dog that came out,” she said. This year, the adoption agency was Jersey Shore Animal Shelter in Brick.
They had a few puppies that people could meet. They even brought them through the rows of vendors, showing off how playful and friendly they were. Shoppers stopped to stoop down and pet them, and vendors stepped out from behind their booths to make new friends.
The puppies were switched out at times so that the same ones wouldn’t spend too much time in the heat. Laurie Fasinski, executive director of the Jersey Shore Animal Shelter, said this event provided a good opportunity for people to meet the dogs. However, they don’t allow adoptions to be done on the same day.
“Donna Torres has the biggest heart in the world,” she said. “It’s a fun day and it benefits animals.”
