The society’s spokesdog, Champ, a Great Pyrenees, was one of the hosts. He was rescued from a shelter in Mississippi, nursed back to health and is now a registered therapy dog, who visits schools and nursing homes. He also has a column in the Tryon Daily Bulletin  and is the author of the FHS membership letter.
Another host was Emmett, a miniature Sicilian donkey. He shared guest honors with two peacocks, a miniature donkey and her foal, a miniature goat and her kid, a pen full of pot bellied piglets and an exhibit of snakes from the Spartanburg Science Center.
Among the happy human guests under the big tent and at the pretty tables surrounding the pool were Renee and Jim McDermott, Janet Peterson, Sarah Holmberg, Fred and Sharon Tesche, Ben and Rhonda King, Trip Hoffman and Alan Van Wieren, Jim and Jean Scott, Tucker and Joyce Cox, Nat and Beverly Ozmon, Judy Davis and Harriet Spencer.
Other guests included Josh Houston and his family, Mike and Amy Ashworth, Tom Delaney and Julia Igoe, Ann Troppman, Don and Lillian Kaspar,  Lisbeth and Mike Bickford and their guests, Phil and Marcia Burrus, Nan Holden, Barie Baker,  and Donna Martin and Bob Tobey.
“This was my first Animal Fair and I loved it,” said Selena Coffey, FHS executive director. “I can hardly wait for next year.”
Her son, Cooper, age 5, despite braying donkeys and screaming peacocks, was less impressed; he slept through much of the afternoon.
Foothills Humane Society, founded in 1957, is the only open-admission companion animal sheltering organization serving the residents of Polk County and northern Spartanburg and Greenville counties. More than 1,800 animals find permanent homes through FHS each year. The shelter also runs a low-cost spay/neuter program with the help of local vets, holds training classes for new dog owners and recently was recognized nationally for attaining a 97.7-percent live release rate for 2011.
– article submitted by Bertie Phayer