Q&A with Pet Pantry: ‘New Canaan Dog Days’ Set for May 7

New Canaan Dog Days 2022

One of New Canaan’s most beloved community events, Dog Days, is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 7 at the New Canaan Nature Center. The free event—a fundraiser for the Nature Center and Adopt-a-Dog—is organized by Pet Pantry Warehouse, which has a store on Grove Street. We put some questions to Pet Pantry Executive Vice President Adam Jacobson ahead of Dog Days 2023. 

Here’s our exchange.

New Canaanite: Dog Days New Canaan is a favorite event among residents with animal companions, and based on attending myself, it feels like Dog Days has grown in the years that Pet Pantry Warehouse has run it. What sort of feedback to you get from attendees? 

Adam Jacobson: Attendees love New Canaan Dog Days because there really is something for everyone. These events are built to engage the whole community, pet owners and people who love animals. We offer many activities for children and activities your four-legged family members to participate in. Each year, we continue to add new features and evolve the event to improve upon the last one. This year we’re really excited about our partnership with Sacred Heart University and their Canine Cognition Lab. We also have an all-new scavenger hunt in partnership with Rock Paper Scissors Events that is going to be a lot of fun. My personal favorite features are the all new Doggie Beer Garden, Ice Cream Pawlour & the Dog Lovers Lure Coursing. 

What’s happening at Dog Days this year? What can attendees expect?

Attendees can always expect to leave with tons of free samples and incredible memories. We have Venture Photography on site capturing family portraits and our top tier food brands will be on site to educate consumers about the best pet food available. We also have experts on site to talk about pet health and wellness. If you have a pet you do not want to miss this event. 

Pet Pantry does an awful lot for the community, partnering on many good local causes, including Bankwell’s Pet Adoption Project and the New Canaan Police Department K-9 program. It’s all done pro bono. What is guiding your company’s involvement in these types of causes?

First and foremost we are a community-based, family-owned business. Community is not just something that exists; it is an idea that needs to be cultivated. A healthy community is great for everyone, and we recognize not only the importance of it, but our responsibility to make whatever contributions we can to it. The win-win for us is that we truly love the process. We have built lasting relationships and friendships, and we are helping people and organizations at the same time. In addition, our nonprofit partnerships just really add a lot to the experience of having a small business – we admire the work that they do and we are proud to support them.  

What would you say to a local dog mom, dad or family that hasn’t been to Dog Days New Canaan before? 

For anyone that is attending this event for the first time we strongly encourage arriving early as there is so much to do and see. In addition to running into friends and neighbors you’ll meet a ton of new people. This event is a great way to meet people in the community and share appreciation for our four-legged family members. Is your dog a genius? Find out. 

What else, if anything, would you like to say about Dog Days? 

This event is so much fun to organize, and since we’ve received such incredible feedback we are hosting another Dog Days in the Town of Fairfield on June 25th. Follow along on social media for up-to-date news on upcoming events throughout the year.