The Bonifacio High Street Central amphitheater went to the dogs, quite literally, when the biggest family pet trade show, Pet Summit Philippines, opened its doors last April 6 and 7.

Hundreds of pet parents and their four-legged buddies trooped to Bonifacio Global City to witness the one-of-a-kind exhibit featuring the best in pet care.

Among the headliners was Vigor & Sage, the Dutch brand pet food launched here last month.

Luis Mercado, who brought Vigor & Sage to Manila, hired artist Robby Singh to create a 5’x5’ mural of his pet pugs, Maxx and Bruno, at the Vigor & Sage booth. Singh is an artist who specializes in “petraits,” murals, and designs.

Maxx, the dog that started it all, motivated Mercado to search for the best quality pet food around the world, a few years after the dog’s death. Mercado then had Bruno, a robust young pug, almost two years after Maxx passed.

The Vigor & Sage mural was created in honor of the dogs. Using water-based acrylic paint, Singh toiled under the scorching April afternoon sun for more than six hours on opening day to get the project done by evening.

Mercado said the mural will soon have its permanent home at the Vigor & Sage main office.

Vigor & Sage also set up water stations for pets around the exhibit area in anticipation of the long hot weekend. The water bowls were regularly cleaned and refilled so that pets quickly learned where to find the stations.

Free product samples were also distributed to introduce the brand further to the pet community.

“This is also an educational campaign for us. People should start looking into what’s going into the pet’s food,” Mercado said.

Vigor & Sage participates every Sunday in Better Dog Philippines’ “BGC Sunday Dog Park” at Burgos Circle, a controlled off-leash community dog park.

Pet Loft Mnl also exhibited Nine Lifer’s Home Kafbo items, an eco-friendly product made from high-quality cardboard for cats. Made in Thailand, the brand offers a complete range of eco-friendly cat scratchers.

The Incredible Raw offered another pet food option—raw food. It’s made of 80 percent whole chicken, 10 percent edible bone, and 10 percent organs.
Raw food benefits include better dental hygiene and stronger teeth, reduced stool size and odor, improved digestion, shiny coat, and better muscle tone and stronger joints.

Another raw-food advocate was Barf.ph which displayed its biologically appropriate raw food products, including freshly baked and dehydrated treats. It delivers daily in Metro Manila.

Locally made Sniff Purple Paw offered shampoos and soaps for pets, infused with madre de cacao. Choices include anti-flea and anti-tick, anti-mange, anti-bacterial, and natural solutions for hot spots, sores, and rashes.

Also present were Bullies and Pitbulls of Mandaluyong and Mandaluyong Pack Leaders, which presented a video in the evening to educate the crowd on this often misunderstood breed.

“We want people to know that pitbulls are not aggressive, that they are among the sweetest dog breeds around,” said Macklein Mateo of Bullies and Pitbulls.

Boston Terriers Tribe Philippines. was around to promote the breed, while the UP MMDA Vanguard K9 Search Rescue demonstrated dog agility skills.

This year’s Pet Summit Philippines had more than 20 exhibitors.

The first day alone drew 1,200 visitors, said Karla Kangleon, event producer of Cara Welfare Philippines, whose company, All4PetsParty, one of the pioneers in pet party events in the country, organized the event, with Paws and Tails Events Concepts and Management.