• A total of 35 exhibitors, including companies, clinics, and associations, will present to the public the latest innovations and a complete catalogue of the most suitable products and services for pets today

Pet lovers have an unmissable appointment at Infecar this weekend, September 28 and 29. These dates are set to celebrate the seventh edition of Animundo, which will once again offer a space specially designed to raise awareness about responsible pet ownership. In addition, the fair features an extensive family program of activities, with a significant presence of companies and entities dedicated to providing products, services, and advice aimed at caring for the health and well-being of these great life companions for many citizens.

The details of this seventh edition of the Pet Fair were presented today, Monday, September 23, at Infecar, Gran Canaria Fair, by Minerva Alonso, Councilor for Economic Development, Industry, Commerce and Crafts of the Gran Canaria Cabildo; Raúl García Brink, Councilor for Environment, Climate, Energy and Knowledge of the island corporation; and Natalia Santana, General Director of Infecar.

Training for all audiences

Minerva Alonso defined Animundo as “a training space for all audiences,” which aims to “promote health, care, and responsible and respectful ownership of pets” and “publicize the existing offer of products and services intended for them.” The island councillor emphasized the importance of “exercising this awareness-raising work” and highlighted as a “fundamental” objective the need to sensitize society against the abandonment of pets.
“From the Cabildo, we encourage citizen participation,” Alonso stated, emphasizing that Animundo will not only be fair for acquiring products and learning about services but will also offer a wide program of activities and the presence of prominent experts in the sector.

The Councilor for Economic Development, Industry, Commerce and Crafts of the Gran Canaria Cabildo especially wanted to thank the collaboration of the island’s Ministry of Environment and the Island Shelter, the Official College of Veterinarians of Las Palmas, the municipalities of Telde and Santa Lucía de Tirajana, and all the organizations and companies present at the fair. In addition to the support of Cajasiete as the official sponsor of Animundo, as well as the collaboration of brands such as Kiwoko, Koala, El Corte Inglés, and Purina. And entities and companies such as Club Baloncesto Gran Canaria (with the always striking presence at the fair of its mascot, the dog Granky), Club Agility Lomo Salas, ATAP Canarias, and Librería Agapea.

Thoughtful adoptions

Raúl García Brink, for his part, indicated in his intervention that Animundo “is already an essential event on the island of Gran Canaria.” The councillor said, “This is not only about highlighting the products and services and everything that companion animals generate but about promoting their responsible ownership.” García Brink emphasized that the Island Shelter “is the last link against the abandonment of pets” and that this “is a scourge that continues to be suffered, although we must highlight the progressive awareness that has been occurring in society, and many associations and coordinated action with institutions have also contributed to this.”

The councillor announced that in this edition of Animundo, eight dogs would be taken to its adoption catwalk, and some of the cats cared for there will also be shown through screens. However, the main novelty in the program will be that this year, adoptions will not be carried out on-site, “we want to avoid impulsive adoptions that are not done thoughtfully and sensibly. Those interested in these adoptions will be given an appointment at the shelter, and there they can formalize it with the advice of technicians and establish a bond with these animals,” he stressed.

The shelter will again have a prominent space at the fair to publicize the animals available for adoption for which they currently care. In addition, the island councillor indicated, “We will have an area for children and various activities for visitors.”

Objectives and reasons to be at Animundo

Animundo, a fair organized by the Gran Canaria Cabildo, seeks to promote responsible and respectful pet ownership, foster their well-being and health, and combat their abandonment with a necessary awareness-raising effort. For all this, its programming includes different workshops and activities aimed at reinforcing education in the care of pets. Actions to which we must add the presence of experts and authorized voices who will share their vision, knowledge, and experience on these issues.

Similarly, the fair aims to exhibit a vast catalogue of currently existing pet offers. For this purpose, up to 35 exhibitors will be present at Infecar. This figure includes food stores and brands, insurance companies, veterinary clinics, and firms dedicated to pet therapy and education, home care and services, or even water treatment, along with associations and protectors and public entities such as the municipalities of Santa Lucía de Tirajana or Telde, and the Gran Canaria Island Animal Shelter.

In this way, the attending public will be able to be aware of the latest developments and the most suitable products for caring for their pets in direct interaction with companies, veterinary services, groups oriented to animal protection, and public administration.

The presence of names such as Carlos Rodríguez (presenter and director of the well-known program ‘Como el perro y el gato’ on Onda Cero), Adrián Conde (clinical ethologist and content creator with more than 140,000 followers on social networks), the Canarian actress and presenter Eloísa González or Carmen Barreiro (veterinarian and expert in animal nutrition) constitute some of the attractions of a program, that of Animundo 2024, which recovers the parks and canine pools for the enjoyment of dogs visiting the venue during the fair. And in which the eagerly awaited canine catwalk will not be missing.

Adoption catwalk

It should be remembered that the last edition of Animundo, held in 2023, registered the attendance of more than 3,000 people and 500 dogs, in further proof of the impact of pets on island society. On this occasion, the classic catwalk of dogs for adoption will be repeated, with six different passes included in the program.
Those on Saturday, September 28 (11:45, 14:00 and 17:15 hours) will be conducted, respectively, by Carlos Rodríguez himself, Adrián Conde and Eloísa González. Those on Sunday, September 29 (also at 11:45, 14:00 and 17:15 hours) will be presented by Maestro Florido (‘the craftsman of laughter’); Baby Solano, presenter, actor and television reporter, regular presenter of the Canine Carnival Gala of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria; and Gus Jackson, actor, dancer, composer and professional double internationally recognized for paying tribute to Michael Jackson.
At the fair, the public can manage their appointments with the Gran Canaria Island Animal Shelter to formalize the adoptions of dogs and cats.

Lectures and authorized voices

Special mention should be made of the lectures by specialists and authorized voices in pet care offered at Animundo 2024. On Saturday, September 28, the talk ‘First Aid’ is scheduled by Carlos Rodríguez, veterinarian, director and co-owner of Centros Veterinarios Mascoteros and president of the Mascoteros Foundation, as well as presenter and director of the program ‘Como el Perro y el Gato’, on Onda Cero. It will be the first act planned at the fair after its inauguration at 11:00 hours. Rodríguez will sign his books after his conference.

At 12:30 hours, the lecture ‘Understanding between species, the key to happiness’ is planned by Adrián Conde, clinical ethologist and content creator on networks, and a book signing also follows it.
At 16:00 hours, canine ethologist Eider Fernández will be the speaker, with her talk ‘Potentially dangerous dogs; the least understood typology’, dedicated to a topic on which this edition of Animundo mainly focuses. At 16:45 hours, Eloísa González will lead a round table with people who have adopted pets under the title ‘The wonderful action of adoption: Real cases’.

On Sunday, September 29, Alejandro Suárez, president of the Official College of Veterinarians of Las Palmas, will offer, at 11:00 hours, the conference ‘App Zoocan—technology for citizen awareness in the management of feline colonies. Veterinarian and content creator on networks Carmen Barreiro will discuss, at 13:15 hours, how to ‘Improve your furry friend’s health through their diet’. At 18:15, Sira Roiz, veterinarian of the Gran Canaria Island Animal Shelter, will offer the lecture ‘Gran Canaria Island Animal Shelter-Gran Canaria Cabildo’.

Exhibitions and workshops

An exhibition by the Special Unit of Canine Guides of the Higher Police Headquarters of the Canary Islands will have a prominent presence in the Animundo program. It will be on Saturday, September 28, at 13:30 hours. Also, Agility is a sport where the animal and its guide establish a unique bond while completing obstacle courses designed with fences, tunnels, walkways or seesaws. This demonstration, by Manuel Álvarez, Agility instructor at the Lomo Salas Sports Club, is scheduled for the same day at 18:15 hours. However, it will not be the last exhibition of the day, which, at 19:00 hours, will be carried out by the Cynological Group of the Civil Guard of Las Palmas.
On Sunday, September 29, at 12:45 hours, a new exhibition will be held on the exterior of the fairgrounds by the units of the Local Police of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria GOIA-UE and the Coexistence and Mediation Unit (UMEC). In addition, at 16:45 hours, a ‘Punishment-free canine education workshop’ will be developed, directed by Laura Valle, canine instructor, in assisted ATAP Canarias and Terapican interventions.

Anipromesa

Animundo will have an area specially dedicated to the youngest. Anipromesa is a children’s area conceived for this audience, with a specific program of activities within the framework of a fair designed to convey the relevance of pets in society and promote their responsible ownership.
Practical workshops that emulate veterinary work, crafts or face painting, along with a varied gastronomic offer, complete the leisure plan at Animundo, an event also oriented towards the enjoyment of the family audience.

Tickets and access with dogs

Tickets for the fair can already be purchased on the event’s official website, animundo.es. General admission is 1.50 euros, while access is free for children under 12, disabled people, the unemployed, and pensioners, although the ticket must be withdrawn in advance.
People who wish to access the venue with their dogs can consult the access rules on the same website. Before entering the fair, they must prove their identity with their ID as the animal’s owner and show their up-to-date health card.

Professional day

Animundo 2024 will repeat the experience of the previous edition and, for the second time, will hold a professional day before the fair, scheduled for the afternoon of Friday, September 27, from 16:00 to 20:00 hours, of a professional nature. That is, a forum for a specialized audience to share experiences around the sector’s current situation. Alejandro Suárez, president of the Official College of Veterinarians of Las Palmas; Juan Capote, biologist, veterinarian, and doctor from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and academic of the Royal Academy of Medicine of Tenerife; and Pilar Muñoz, professor at the UCO, veterinarian, coach, and CEO of VetySana, will speak at this conference, which will be conducted by communicator Laura Torres. As a novelty compared to last year, the event includes a workshop (with limited capacity) directed by Pilar Muñoz. The workshop will address an issue of significant human impact: managing grief for the death of animals.

Participation in the conference can be requested through free registration through the website animundo.es.