Fuzzy Buddies Fun Day will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. May 4 at South Rowan Animal Hospital in China Grove.

Activities will include pet parades, costume and trick contests, pet-related vendors and pet organizations.

“We hope this event will bring awareness to our ‘AniMeals’ program. Many people do not know that our volunteers deliver meals to our homebound seniors and, on occasion, they deliver pet food or ‘AniMeals,'” said Meals on Wheels Executive Director Cindy Fink.

“We believe that pet companions provide comfort to our homebound seniors,” Fink added. “Sometimes our seniors do not have the financial resources to purchase food for their pets and they will share their home-delivered meal. We want our clients to eat their meal and benefit from the protein, vegetables and fruits. Our experience also tells us that it is difficult for many seniors to shop for or move pet food from the grocery store to their homes. We break large bags of pet food into more manageable size bags that can easily be delivered with their meals.”

Fuzzy Buddies Fun Day will celebrate pets. The entry fee for participation in any of the pet events is a donation of cat food or dog food.

Pet parades will begin at 2 p.m. for small, medium and large dogs. There will also be a pet costume contest and a pet trick contest.

The final event will be a Best in Show Pet Parade that will feature all first-, second- and third-place winners from the earlier pet parades.

No retractable leashes will be allowed on site.

Pet-related vendors are invited to participate. A vendor registration form is available on the Meals on Wheels website at www.mowrowan.org. The vendor fee is a donation of pet food.

Salisbury Interact Club is planning to host a pet treat decorating booth.

Additional invited groups include Faithful Friends, Rowan County Humane Society and Rowan County Animal Shelter. They have been invited to bring adoptable cats and dogs.

The final activity will be a Blessing of the Fuzzy Buddies at 4:30 p.m. by Senior Pastor Mark Burns of Mount Zion United Church of Christ in China Grove.

Sponsors for Fuzzy Buddies Fun Day include South Rowan Animal Hospital, Cheerwine, Anne and Frank Saunders, Pedigree, and R&L Glover Construction.