Thousands of dogs, pet parents and animal enthusiasts celebrated the 15th annual Mardi Growl Pet Parade & Festival in Downtown Knoxville on Saturday to benefit Young-Williams Animal Center, the official municipal shelter for the City of Knoxville and Knox County.
Mardi Growl 2022, presented by Merchants of Beer, featured a pet-friendly parade from the Old City to World’s Fair Park, where vendors, Young-Williams Animal Center’s Spay Shuttle and other fun awaited the attendees.
“For 15 years, Mardi Growl has been a main event for East Tennessee animal lovers,” says Janet Testerman, CEO of Young-Williams Animal Center. “Not only has it entertained our community, but also it has raised awareness of our mission to find ‘A Home for Every Pet.’ We are thankful for everyone’s support that allows us to serve tens of thousands of pets and people in our area each year.”
Young-Williams Animal Center offered $10 rabies vaccinations and free microchipping and other vaccinations for dogs and cats. Attendees also enjoyed pet costume contests, local food trucks and other vendors promoting pet welfare.
Mardi Growl is Young-Williams Animal Center’s largest fundraiser and is made possible through the support of event sponsors, including: Merchants of Beer; Radio Systems Corporation; PetSafe; Invisible Fence Inc.; SportDOG, City of Knoxville; TIS Insurance Services, Inc.; River Dog Bakery; Pet Supplies Plus; Mark and Kristin Williams; Young, Williams & Ward Attorneys at Law; LeConte Title; All Occasions Party Rentals; Downtown Knoxville Alliance; Visit Knoxville; PAWZ Dog Services; Wavely; LHP Capital; Pet Treater; S&S Cafeterias; Village Vet Medical Center; Knoxville TVA Employees Credit Union; PetWellClinic; UT Federal Credit Union; Harper Auto Square; Continental Pet Cremations; 865LIFE; Graduate Hotels; Knoxville Veterinary Medical Association; McGriff Insurance; Tim’s Fencing; and The Dog Wizard. Media sponsors include WBIR-TV Channel 10 and Star 102.1 FM.
For more information about Mardi Growl, visit mardigrowl.org or young-williams.org or call 865-215-6599.
