Pets the Theme at San Diego County Fair

Story and photos by Cailin Acosta

DEL MAR, California – The Torah requires that people feed their animals before feeding themselves. According to Jewish customs, this instills in us the sensitivity for the needs of other living creatures before caring for ourselves. Many of our pets require a human to feed them, and they rely on us to survive.

At the San Diego County Fair, the theme was “Summer Pet-Tacular.” We immediately saw that the theme exhibit was near the entrance, so we saw animals before we humans made our way to the many food booths!

Many animals were exhibited: fish, birds, dogs, cats, reptiles, amphibians, and small mammals, which included hamsters and rabbits. The exhibit was thoughtfully sponsored by the San Diego Humane Society and Kahoot’s Feed and Pet Stores.

Kiwi, a beautiful parrot, stopped grooming itself and had its eye on me, and I wondered if my colorful headband, which has pink in it, had caught its eye. There was a helpful list of recommendations for keeping a bird as a pet. For instance, owners need an enclosure, feeders, waterers, perches, and toys.

Owners may also need seeds, nuts, grass, flowers, fruits, grains, beans, vegetables, insects, feed pellets, and supplements. Owners should prepare the family, birds are attention seekers; they can be noisy, messy, dusty, and destructive. Birds have a long lifespan and can live to 20 to 50 year. Birds also need a shelter/safe habitat, sun/light exposure, comfort/stimulation, room to stretch wings, socialization, love and attention, and enrichment activities.

A section of the exhibit dealt with notable birds in history. Pigeons have a long history as messengers before and after the invention of more modern communication methods. They have at times been more effective than these methods. For example, during World War II, a British messenger pigeon, G.I. Joe, saved the lives of a village and a British bomber crew by carrying the message that the area had been safely secured and no longer needed to be bombed. Without this message, many would have died that day: Joe lived to 1961 and was awarded for his service.

I think of the many homing pigeons who also served during the war. They risked their lives. I find it fascinating how they were able to find their targets and deliver messages. Very smart birds.

In the small-mammal exhibit, there were hamsters, Guinea pigs, and a rabbit. The exhibit labeled this group as “generally pocket-sized companions.” This group has charming personalities and diminutive stature, which gives them a unique appeal as pets. These small mammals have relatively low maintenance and can live eight years or more. I have a small angora rabbit named Freckles, who because it lives indoors has a longer life span, perhaps 15 years or longer.

Thumper, a lion-head mixed cutie, I could tell was enjoying his or her nap as people walked by. I blew him or her a kiss and he or she started “tooth-purring.” It means they enjoy your sound and move their lips around. My Freckles does the same thing when she wakes me up at 2 a.m., for some head rubs.

As we left the exhibit, I thought it was unsettling to have “pets” as the theme and yet have the fairgrounds permeated with the small of barbecued animals.  Many people in the East County have chickens, pigs, lambs, and cows as pets. I remembered the theme being based mostly on dogs and cats. However, I did see a booth promoting “fried frogs’ legs” and saw frogs in a tank in the exhibit. I wonder if anyone left the exhibit and decided to order fried frog legs (eek!).

I saw “Dubai Chocolate Strawberries” and asked my “super cool teens” if they knew what this was, since I have seen it all over Facebook. They told me it was chocolate with some pistachio pieces and that this was “old news.” We waited in line for an $18 cup of fresh-cut strawberries, drizzled in Belgian milk chocolate, pistachio cream, and crispy kadaifi pastry on top.

This was probably the healthiest thing at the fair that was not fried, and by the time we got to the exit, the cup was empty, and the twins both said it was “fire.” It meant a good, yummy time at the fair, enjoying the love of animals.

We were so excited to come home and be greeted by our Freckles. I made a beeline for the fridge to get her greens and put her first before anything else.

Click here and enter code: SDFAIR20.X1B at checkout for $20 off an order from Kahoot’s Feed and Pet Store. The offer expires on Wednesday, July 9.

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Cailin Acosta is the assistant editor of the San Diego Jewish World.