This Saturday, barks, meows and the sounds of many other pets will fill the air at Goodyear Park, as Washington Parish 4-H holds its annual pet show.

Registration for the event will begin at 9 a.m., and the start time will be at 10 a.m. The show had been originally scheduled for Cassidy Park, but it has since been moved to Goodyear Park.

Beth Blackwell Putnam, assistant extension agent for 4-H, said that the event is currently open only to 4-H student members.

“We’ve had multiple questions about that,” Putnam said. “So next year, we may look at opening it up to the general public. But for this year, it’s still a pet show for 4-H members only.”

Putnam said that the event has been held annually for at least 10 years. She estimated that about 50 club members participated in the pet show last year, and there were about 150 people in attendance.

“That was our largest number in recent years,” Putnam said. “We’re hoping that the change of location to a park, instead of a parking lot, will encourage more people to participate.”

Putnam explained that the show was started to give 4-H members an opportunity to show off their pets, because many members do not have large livestock animals for show.

“A lot of people associate 4-H with large livestock shows, and we still do those,” Putnam said. “But many of our members don’t have large livestock animals, and we wanted to give them the chance to show off their smaller pets as well. The show teaches good lessons about animal nutrition, behavior, and just overall care of a pet.”

Putnam said that volunteers are still needed to help make the show a success. Set-up will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday at the park.

There are a variety of categories for pet show participants. They include:

• Dogs — Biggest, Smallest (non-puppy), Cutest Puppy, and Best Dressed Owner and Pet.
• Cats — Biggest, Smallest (non-kitten), Cutest Kitten, and Best Dressed Owner and Pet.
• Rabbit — Biggest, Smallest, and Best Dressed Owner and Pet.
• Birds — Prettiest, Most Friendly, Most Talented, and Best Dressed Owner and Pet.
• Reptile/Amphibian — Most Exotic, and Best Dressed Owner and Pet.
• Other Pets, including Hamsters, Guinea Pigs, Ferrets — Best Groomed, Best Dressed Owner and Pet.
• Any other pet not listed — Best Dressed Owner and Pet.
• All pets — Best Trick, Owner and Pet Look-Alikes, Most Creative Hair (Pet), Most 4-H Festive (Pet).