A beautifully sunny day greeted Loudoun families and pets at the third annual Loudoun Pet Expo Sept. 11 at Franklin Park. The family- and pet-friendly event had nearly 40 booths with information on different pet services, as well as concession stands, a mobile vet and mobile cat adoption truck. Next door to the field, the Franklin Park Community Pool was also open for a dog swim.

“I wanted the expo to be a place for all age groups,” Marion Esposito, Loudoun Pet Expo founder and event coordinator said. “I wanted it to be educational, fun, memorable.”

A couple hundred people attended the event throughout the day — the largest crowd yet, Esposito said. Esposito said she originally thought of the event because she wanted to promote animal businesses and organizations and create a place for people to become informed.

“Like Costco wanted to come and bring their pharmacist because they sell pet medications. I had no idea they did that,” Esposito said.

Among the booths were training organizations, pet hospitals, boarding kennels, pet stores, animal rescues and merchandise. This year, the Loudoun Pet Expo also brought a petting zoo which drew attention all day, including animals like a camel, goats, sheep and even a baby kangaroo.

This is the Loudoun Pet Expo’s second year at Franklin Park and Esposito said she hopes the event continues to grow and that more vendors and people come out to enjoy a day with their pets.