Amazing Pet Expos Sets New Record for Publicly-Attended Pet Events: 700,000 Guests (and their Pets)

ST. LOUIS, MO, April 20, 2014 (Press-News.org) The team behind Amazing Pet Expos has reason to celebrate today since they just found out that they've set a new industry standard for national pet expos. In just five years, Amazing Pet Expos has welcomed more than 700,000 guests - and their pets - to their 72 consecutive pet expos in more than 40 states across the country.

"We're delighted to learn that we've produced the most-attended public pet expo series ever," says the Vice-President of Amazing Pet Expos, Patricia Welch. She adds, "It really is amazing how the pet community has responded to our events over the past five years. Pets play such a huge part in our lives - people want opportunities like this to enjoy a day devoted to their best pet friend."

Why have they experienced such success in the pet expo market? According to some folks, including Luigi Francis "Shorty" Rossi, star of the runaway hit TV show, "Pit Boss" on Animal Planet, it's because they encourage any well-behaved pet - regardless of breed - to attend their events.

"I've been working with Amazing Pet Expos for three years now and it's obvious how much they're committed to establishing that pets are family everywhere they go. Your Pitbull might be kicked out of a dog park or unable to go to the doggie daycare, but they're welcomed at an Amazing Pet Expo. It's all about educating people and I see people's eyes opened at every one of these events," Rossi explains.

It's likely that their commitment to providing free pet events to communities across the country has helped too. "We have so many wonderful exhibitors and rescues who've supported us through the years - we couldn't have done it without them. Rather than spend money on admission, we want our guests to spend money with those exhibitors and be able to make donations to the rescue groups that are there," adds Welch. "We know our guests also appreciate that we treat their furry, feathered and reptilian pet pals with just as much love and respect as we do every person walking through our doors."

Each expo is also deeply rooted in the local pet community and market. Nearly 90% of every event's exhibitors feature local shelters, rescue groups, pet businesses and pet industry entrepreneurs. This allows for networking and collaborations to occur between businesses, non-profits, animal advocates and pet owners - a rare opportunity for most pet lovers. It also doesn't hurt Amazing Pet Expos to have some serious pet-star power in their corner either.

"Pit Boss" Shorty Rossi and his canine sidekick, Hercules, have been the company's national spokesperson (and spokes-pooch) since 2011 and have already committed to Amazing Pet Expos through 2015. Becoming a "Boss" wasn't easy for Rossi: A rough childhood, a Gangland lifestyle and 10 years in Folsom State Prison could have derailed anyone's dreams. It's the loyalty and companionship of Pitbulls, as he experienced his darkest moments, that Rossi credits with transforming his life. When Rossi isn't managing Shortywood Productions, a company that works with little people in the entertainment industry or filming "Pit Boss" or Animal Planet's newest show, "Americas's Cutest Pet," he's working with Shorty's Pitbull Rescue, a charity he formed that rescues, rehabilitates and places neglected and abused Pitbulls in loving, nurturing homes.

"Guests are always amazed at what these pet expos have to offer. An Amazing Pet Expo is a great socialization tool for your pets," adds Rossi. "And seeing so many kinds of different pet types and breeds at one event is really something to see! People might decide to go to a pet expo to just have fun with their pet, but they end up leaving with new knowledge on how to be the best pet owner possible - and they can take what they learned into their community and make a difference for all animals."

Amazing Pet Expos started out with a simple mission: To let pet lovers know about all of the fantastic resources in their own communities. "A perfect example of this is when we'd get a phone call from someone in our own town asking if we knew of a nice rescue group; they'd lost their job and they couldn't afford their dog any longer, but were desperate to find the best home possible. What that person didn't yet know was that St. Louis - like most cities - has pet food pantries, low-cost immunizations, free spay and neuter resources and even wonderful rescue groups that offer help so that these four-legged family members can stay right where they belong: with their family. Too many pets end up in shelters just because people don't know how to care for them or they have an easily-fixed behavior problem or because pet owners think they have no alternatives. And that's sad," states Welch.

That "mission" quickly took on a life of it's own to now include 39 pet expos across the country - all of them indoors - with an average of 150 exhibitors, live entertainment, education and demonstrations, Petfinder.com mega-adoption areas with more than 250 rescue pets available for adoption, low-cost immunizations, discounted microchipping, free nails trims for all the furry friends who need them and more.

While Amazing Pet Expos has clearly done a whole lot of pet expos, Welch insists that they're just getting started: "Oh, we have very big plans. We learn so much at every one of these shows and we're excited to put that knowledge to use with some new initiatives that we're launching in 2015 - it's going to be a great year."

For more information about Amazing Pet Expos, visit them online at amazingpetexpos.com, call 800.977.3609, email info@amazingpetexpos.com or check out some of their social media pages at facebook.com/amazingpetexpos or twitter.com/AmazingPetExpo.