Bark in the Park on Saturday

Hosted jointly by dog welfare charity Dogs Trust and Ballymena Council, it will run from 12 noon ‘til 3pm.

As well as a Fun Dog Show for competitive canines, there will be free health examinations by local vets, free microchipping, a variety of stalls and refreshments, face-painting, a bouncy castle for the youngsters, and dog behaviourists to answer any canine queries.

There will also be a car boot sale and a Dogs Trust Café, selling all manner of refreshments and baked items, and even some canine treats too!

Some of the VIPs (very important pooches) from Dogs Trust Ballymena will also be in attendance and staff will be on hand to offer advice on responsible dog ownership.

Ronnie Milsop, Education & Community Manager for Dogs Trust NI, says: “We are all very excited about this year’s show and it promises to be a wonderful celebration of dogs, and a fantastically fun day for those with two legs and four. A big thank-you to the Ballymena Ecos Centre for allowing us to host the event at their wonderful site yet again, to all the local vets who have kindly offered their services for free and to all stall holders. We hope to see plenty of fun-seekers on the 9th!”

Debbie Sayers from Ballymena Borough Council says: “Following the success of previous year’s events we are delighted to welcome Dogs Trust’s ‘Bark in the Park’ event to Ecos for a sixth time. This is a wonderful opportunity for a fun family day out, with loads of competitions and activities for dog owners, their families, and, of course, the dogs themselves to enjoy!”