The 17th annual Paw Prints on the Canal event was held June 14 at Canal Street Park in Northampton.

The event was another success and continues to grow annually. Attendees from the Lehigh Valley and neighboring areas, such as Stroudsburg, Wind Gap, Hellertown and more, were on hand to support the animals and people and to have a fun time eating and socializing.

There were numerous pet rescues, a microchipping clinic, various food vendors, crafts, clothing merchandise and more. Music and entertainment was provided by DJ Johnzy, otherwise known as John Zmyewski.

The Sharp Dressed Pet Contest was an opportunity for attendees to dress up their dogs in a competition to select the most ingenious costume and how it made their dog look special.

Other happenings included a microchip and rabies clinic for dogs and cats inside the Northampton Regional EMS building, 1525 Canal St. At the band shell, there was Mannered Mutts Training, Caitlin’s Animal Training and Passion 4 Paws Dog Training.

At the pavilion were 50/50 tickets and other raffle tickets for sale. The main raffle drawing was set for 3 p.m. Also, patrons were asked to visit the ice cream sale and the bake sale to support the event.

Northampton Fire Department had a large presence at the event with one of the big firetrucks. The firefighters passed out fire safety literature and other items fire department related to give to attendees.

Because of the very warm weather, a number of stands had small swimming pools filled with water and ice cubes so dogs could cool off.

There was a large human and canine turnout, with a few felines, at the event. Dogs ranging from about 5 pounds to as weighty as more than 200 pounds strolled around the park.

Jason, of Wind Gap, was present with his handsome Chihuahua named Tyson. He noted Tyson appeared calm at the event and may weigh 5 pounds when fully grown. Heather Otto, of the Poconos, was with her two small dogs Louie and Fez in a double stroller. She said she was excited to stroll through the vendor tents offering a wide variety of services and items for sale.

The goal of the event is to raise money for Northampton Police Department’s K-9 unit. Over the years, the volunteer Paws team has raised tens of thousands of dollars for the unit.

Visit the Paws in the Park Facebook page for more information and to consider a donation or sign up as a future volunteer. You can also volunteer at one of the many animal rescues throughout the Lehigh Valley.