MAIN ST. FORT WORTH ARTS FESTIVAL HAS ‘NO PETS’ POLICY

28 Mar 2007

by: Sarah McClellan-Brandt

FORT WORTH, Texas (March 28, 2007) – MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival officials have asked that festival attendees do not bring their pets to the April 19-22 event.

Pets that are normally well-behaved can become anxious and bite someone when factors such as the crowds, noise level, having children present and food being served are taken into consideration.

“Given the enormity of MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival, we take every precaution we can to make sure attendees are safe,” said Jay Downie, festival producer.

Keane Menefee, animal control manager at Fort Worth Animal Care and Control, said one reason not to bring your pet to MAIN ST. is that state law mandates an animal be quarantined for 10 days in the event that it bites or scratches a person, and any medical center that treats a person for an animal bite or scratch must report it to local animal control officials.

“With the volume of people there, you’re putting your animals in what is for them an uncomfortable and stressful situation, which involves the risk that they might bite or scratch someone,” he said. “Even if your animal is friendly, when you put it in a stressful environment, you don’t know how it’s going to react.”

Pet owners also risk their animals becoming overheated or dehydrated, depending on the weather.

There are other health risks involved with bringing animals to an outdoor festival, such as waste that can carry parasites. Menefee said that it is a class C misdemeanor not to clean up after animals when they “do their business” in a public place. Tickets for this offense can cost up to $500.

“It’s just not the right environment for pets,” Menefee said. “I know people love their animals, but it doesn’t mean everyone else is going to feel the same way. If you bring pets to MAIN ST., you risk putting your pets and other people in an uncomfortable situation.”

For more dos and don’ts, visit www.MainStreetArtsFestival.org.

About Us

MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival is produced by Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc. (DFWII), presented by Coors Light, and is listed as one of the top 10 art festivals in the country by the Art Fair SourceBook and the Harris List. The Official Sponsors for 2007 are American Airlines, Bank of America, Sundance Square, Target and Washington Mutual. Official Media Sponsors include the Star-Telegram, NBC5, D Magazine and Witherspoon Advertising and Public Relations. Downtown Fort Worth Initiatives, Inc. (DFWII) is a 501 (c) 3 organization, formed in 1988 to complement the work of Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. and the Public Improvement District. DFWII provides a funding pathway for charitable, educational and public purpose activities such as community festivals, residential development and park management, and produces the MAIN ST. Fort Worth Arts Festival, the Sundance Square Parade of Lights and the Fort Worth Christmas Tree. With an annual economic impact exceeding $19 million, these events attract more than 500,000 visitors to Downtown.