Dog lovers, get ready to put your moniker where your mouth is!
The Badass Brooklyn Animal Rescue is throwing its Fall Festival in Gowanus on Sept. 14, a doggie-centric bash to raise money and awareness for the compassionate dog rescue center. And one highlight of the event will be a pit bull kissing booth, where attendees can learn firsthand just how gentle the much-maligned breed can be.
“The main goal is showing this other side of pit bulls, but it’s also just fun and adorable,” said Deb Klein, the events coordinator at Badass Brooklyn.
The festival will take over the entire block of President Street between Nevins Street and Third Avenue. More than 20 craft vendors and food trucks will be hawking their wares, while Shake Shack will bring free dog biscuits and its signature dog-friendly “Pooch-ini” custard cups. Most of the vendors will be donating a portion of their haul to Badass Brooklyn, said Klein.
And while humans pucker up with the pitbulls, their pooches can enjoy a “doggie selfie booth,” where hounds can take photos of themselves by pressing their noses on an iPad.
The rescue center — whose motto is “Saving badass dogs from idiot humans” — is dedicated to taking abused and neglected dogs, mostly from the areas of the country with few no-kill animal shelters, and pairing them with new, non-idiotic humans. The organization uses a network of foster owners who help rehabilitate the dogs, and because it is entirely run by volunteers, all resources go into the cost of transporting the animals, spaying and neutering, vaccinations, and training, explained Klein.
Klein said the festival will also provide an opportunity to bring together the community of foster and adoptive owners across the city and state who have helped train, take in, and find homes for the second-chance canines.
“The festival is just about gathering dog-loving New Yorkers to come in, bring dogs, and enjoy the day,” she said.
Badass Brooklyn Animal Rescue Fall Festival (President Street between Nevins Street and Third Avenue in Gowanus, www.badassbrooklynanimalrescue.com). Sept. 14 from 11 am–5 pm. Free.
