Every year the Hawaii Pet Expo is the biggest and pawesomest event of the year! Created to celebrate National Pet Week, this event produced by the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association aims to promote responsible health care in Hawaii. The event is a favorite of pets and pet owners alike for 29 years, and last year drew over 12,000 people and 2,000 pets!

You can find all types of booths at the Pet Expo. Animal clubs, rescue organizations, pet sitters, obedience trainers, pet shops, treats and gifts — there is something for everyone at this fun event.

Hawaii Doggie Bakery has been attending the Pet Expo since we first started our business 20 years ago, and we’ve put together a list to help you make the most of this event.

 1. Only bring your dog if they are well-behaved.

As we mentioned above, last year the Hawaii Pet Expo saw over 12,000 people and 2,000 pets! That’s a lot of people and animals, so as much as you’d like to bring your dog, it’s always important to think about their safety and well-being first. If your dog is not good with new people/pets/experiences, or doesn’t do good with crowds then it might be best to leave him at home…then make sure to bring him a present from the Hawaii Pet Expo!

If you do decide to bring your dog, the rules of the Hawaii Pet Expo is that they must remain leashed at all times.  We suggest taking your dog for a walk before heading down, or take advantage of the Neal Blaisdell grounds and walk around the building before entering. That way you can burn off some excess energy and also make sure your dog has a change to use the restroom.

Make sure to be aware of where your dog is at all times. It is easy to get tangled up in leashes when your dog meets a new animal and must do the butt-sniff dance. We have also seen many a dog eat something off the floor, or use the restroom in the middle of an aisle when their owner was not looking. With all the noise and excitement of the Hawaii Pet Expo, it’s easy to miss your dog doing something they shouldn’t be.

Bring a stroller or a wagon if you want to! The Hawaii Pet Expo has nice wide aisles, so navigating is not too much of a problem. Then your dog can be safe in their vehicle, you avoid possibly tangling of leashes and also you have somewhere to put your Pet Expo goodies.

2. Bring a friend

Hawaii Pet Expo is a tremendously social experience. Are you a crazy-dog owner? Well this is the BEST event to bring fellow crazy-dog loving friends and let your obsession with your furbabies shine through! Having a fellow dog-lover with you will only make your experience better because you will have shared perspective when browsing booths for products and services.

The Hawaii Pet Expo is such a great event to meet lots of people and their pets, and if you’re planning on bringing your dog, it’s really helpful to have someone to keep an eye on them while you browse merchandise or talk to a vendor. Also if you are planning on taking any pictures of your dog (because, duh — you have to update their Instagram!), then you’ll know it’s always better if there is one person to take the photo, and one person to hold the leash…and probably one more person to make noises and get your dog to look at the camera!

3. Write down your pet’s measurements

For collars, bandanas and other accessories, it will help speed up the buying process if you know your dog’s neck size. That way you can concentrate on the design and style rather than wondering about the fit.

For clothes and harnesses, know your dog’s chest size, length from head to butt, and height from floor to shoulder. This is also helpful if you’re looking for a crate or cage as well.

4. Bring cash

In this day and age, most vendors will take credit cards, but some are cash only (and also things happen and internet can go down!), so make sure to have cash on hand. There are ATMs available at the Neal Blaisdell Exhibition Hall, but skip the fees and make sure you withdraw enough prior to the Pet Expo.

5. Be Social Media savvy and check out #hawaiipetexpo and #hawaiipetexpo2018

Unfortunately, there is no official website for the Hawaii Pet Expo that lists all the vendors who will be in attendance in advance but we have a great hack for that: a lot of vendors will be starting to post on social media about the products and services they’ll be showcasing at this year.

Whether you’re on Instagram or not, you can start to take a peek at #hawaiipetexpo and #hawaiipetexpo2018. These hashtags are a pawesome way to stay up to date on the latest news. If you’re not familiar with Instagram, just click the hashtags above just like you would a website and you can see photos all about Hawaii Pet Expo. Scroll past the first section of posts – “Top Posts,” to see “Most Recent,” and you’ll be able to check out the newest posts. Click each photo for more!

We hope these tips will help you to make the most of Hawaii Pet Expo 2018! We’re posting more tips on our Instagram Stories every day so make sure to check those out (also available in our IG Highlights).

Please come visit our booth – we’re celebrating our 20th Anniversary this year so we’re having a pawwwwttttyy!! We’ll be posting our contests, special menu items, freebies and more soon so stay tuned!

See you at the Hawaii Pet Expo!