PUPPIES FOR BREAKFAST WITH A SIDE OF BACON.
A couple of months ago, this little dog with his little white feet was running through traffic on Jensen St in the 5th Ward of Houston with an apparent death wish. Jensen St. is an industrial type road with sometimes heavy traffic, but since he was roaming around at night, his chances of getting hit by a car were a lot less. After being forced to detour onto Jensen to avoid construction, I noticed this little pup in the middle of the road and instinctively wanted to rescue him. As I worked to turn around down the road, I noticed another car stopping in an apparent rescue attempt, but I don’t think the pup made it easy because they left fairly quickly. By the time I got back to him, he was on the side of the road sniffing away so I pulled over, got out of the truck and since my other little Pup was with me I put her out in the grass to help. The dog quickly came to her to say hello and without hesitation I picked him up and put him in the truck.
After the standard social media posts and attempts to see if anyone would claim him, my plan was to find this cute tiny legged dog a good home. I had no intentions of keeping him since I already had three dogs and there were a few people already interested in him, but after a week or so of hanging out with this dude I couldn’t help but consider adding him to the family. And just like that, Torta aka Happy Feet become a part of the pack and as you can see in the pic above he’s living a very very hard life. (by the way, Torta is the Spanish word for a fajita filled french bread sandwich).
My love for dogs goes deep and I know I get it from my father, who my mom says would bring different dogs home all the time. Growing up we always had a dog and sometimes two. Unfortunately my dad passed away when i was 10, but his dog loving spirit lives on in me and my mom witnessed it in action when I hosted my first little dog fest in my back yard in the Summer of 2010. I had this vision of having friends and family over on a Saturday morning and I would offer coffee, juice and breakfast tacos and everyone would be encouraged to bring their dogs. I set up a small kiddy pool in the backyard along with balls and lots of dog toys and guess what, everyone showed up. About 15 – 20 people stopped by with their dogs, some people bringing 3 or 4 dogs, and we had a good little morning event. I had people and puppies over for breakfast and thus the name “Puppies for Breakfast“.
Two years later, in 2012 I decided to host a larger version of this festival concept and on Saturday, May 13th from 10am – 3pm, Puppies for Breakfast will celebrate it’s 5th year and has become one of the largest dog festivals in Texas and probably the country. A little gathering that started in my back yard has turned into a huge event and every year it gets bigger and better. This year we have over 40 different vendors and dog industry companies involved, 3 food trucks, a couple of dog treat trucks, and amazing sponsors such as Kriser’s Natural Pet, Arne’s Warehouse, Market Square Tower, Pet Talk Magazine, and Sit Means Sit Dog Training. The event will also have the signature 4,000 sq ft dog play area that will once again become a Puppy Bowl full of balls, pools, and toys. We have 2 – 3 DJs, including DJ Illset and Fredster, two custom photo wall / booth areas, and not to mention the existing dog run / park that is part of every day use at Market Square Park.
This year the event will benefit Animal Justice League Dog Rescue and though the event is free to the public, we are are asking attendees to please make a $5 donation or gift of any amount to help this amazing rescue. You can also make a donation online at www.puppiesforbreakfast.com.
This is a family event and if you don’t have a dog don’t let that stop you from enjoying a great event. Big thank you to the Downtown District and Market Square park for hosting us every year. They’ve been amazing and we love our partnership with them. See you Saturday.
RSVP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/580158072184612/
@hectorgarciahtx
