The size of the 2016 Companion Animal Festival is growing. This festival turns twenty-four this year, and it is the only event related to companion animals in the Chung-buk region. After the 2015 Companion Animal Festival, which was the largest event yet where almost 3,000 people participated, 3 times more than expected, the 2016 Companion Animal Festival will be held on May 5th of this year. On May 5th, the 2016 Companion Animal Festival begins at 1:30 p.m. in the field near the outdoor amphitheater. This festival is organized by the student council of College of Veterinary Medicine and is hosted by the Veterinary Center of our school.
  Starting in 1991, the purpose of the Companion Animal Festival is to change and establish awareness that companion animals are a part of your family. Furthermore, based on ‘petiquette(pet + etiquette)’, it pursues to help people commune with their companion animals. To achieve this, there are lots of programs and booths, which you can enjoy with your companion animal.
  At the main event, there are frisbees to play with, and also there are demonstrations of ‘attack and obedience’. In addition, ‘It’s Surely My Family’, a game of finding their companion animal while wearing a blindfold, and ‘Mini Game’, a game where you have to complete 4 missions with your companion animal, will be held. At the general event, ‘Is my child healthy?’, a program where you can get a checkup by the medical team of CBNU Veterinary Center will be held. You can also have an experience of becoming a veterinarian through a program. In addition, there will be a photo contest for cats, a program where you can show your pride in your cat. There are various general events like face painting, tarot, pet beauty, and a guessing game.
  Oh Seung-gyu(’15, College of Veterinary Medicine) spoke about what was the most interesting thing in the festival. “Although people say companion animals are becoming members of their families these days, I couldn’t realize it enough. However, joining the last Companion Animal Festival, I realized that lots of people think of their companion animals as their family members. A number of people enjoyed playing with their companion animals and participated in the games.” He told me that he’ll participate in this 2016 Companion Animal Festival again and said, “The festival was a chance for me to think of my dream job, veterinarian, since I could see people mingling with animals.”
  The participants of the festival commune with animals through the Companion Animal Festival. Above all, the Companion Animal Festival pursues the harmony of Cheong-ju citizens, the extension of businesses and products for companion animals and becoming one of the popular festivals of Chung-buk.

By Lee Eun-hye
eh37@cbnu.ac.kr