From Rescue to Rock: 27th Pet Rock Fest Celebrated Kindness to All Creatures
- petrockfest
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
October, 2025
Contact: Charlene Arsenault
508-832-8918, 508-736-77078
Jeannie Hebert
508-981-5782
From Rescue to Rock: 27th Pet Rock Fest Celebrated Kindness to All Creatures
The 27th annual animal welfare festival drew crowds, wagging tails, and support for rescue and advocacy groups across New England
LANCASTER, MA — Sunshine and smiles filled the Lancaster Fairgrounds on Sunday as the 27th annual Pet Rock Festival brought together animal lovers, advocates, and rescue groups from across New England for a day of music, awareness and celebration.
With temperatures more fitting for July than October, festivalgoers and their four-legged friends enjoyed a full afternoon of performances, activities and community spirit — all centered on Pet Rock Fest’s ongoing mission of kindness to animals.
The 2025 event featured live music from “American Idol” winner David Cook, who headlined a lineup that also included The Wray-Ons, P.E. James, and Eldon James and the One Eyed Cat. The music, mingling and shared cause created what organizers called one of the most heartening festivals yet.
Guests explored rows of vendors, rescue groups, and animal welfare organizations offering education and adoption information. Popular features such as the Pet Photo Contest, the Amateur Dog Contest, kids’ activities, CMDART’s agility course, the doggie water park, Tidepool BookShop’s Book Nook, Pups in the Air performances, Mass Vest-a-Dog demos, free pet tag engraving, low cost microchipping and rabies vaccinations from VCA drew steady crowds, while the food vendors from New England VegFest and Tito’s Handmade Vodka “Puptails” station proved to be a favorite among two-legged attendees.
The day began with the Rescue and Shelter Groups Pet Parade, where Brown Dog Coalition and National Great Pyrenees Rescue tied for first place honors. The parade — led by dozens of participating nonprofits — helped kick off the festival’s celebration of compassion and collaboration among groups with shared missions in rescue, advocacy and veterinary care.
“Sometimes it’s hard not to feel discouraged when you see all the negative stories and cruelty in the world, but Pet Rock Fest is a real recharge for the system,” said Founding Partner Charlene Arsenault. “It’s a reminder that there are so many people out there who care deeply about animals and are working alongside us to make a difference.”
Each year, Pet Rock Fest recognizes individuals and organizations that go above and beyond for animals. This year’s Juno Hero Awards were presented to Senator Michael Moore and the Brookfield Fire Department for their ongoing animal advocacy efforts.
Two organizations — Foster Parrots and SweetPea Friends of Rutland Animals — were each awarded $500 as winners in the festival’s annual nonprofit Pet Rock Lottery. Additional charity recipients for 2025 will be announced in the coming weeks.
“We’re so grateful to our attendees, volunteers and sponsors for continuing to support Pet Rock Fest year after year,” said Founding Partner Jeannie Hebert. “Every contribution—big or small—helps us advance our mission and celebrate kindness to animals in a fun, community-focused way.”
Sponsors for this year’s festival included MA Homes LLC, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, AmeriVet Veterinary Partners/Great Road Veterinary Hospital, Paw Plaza, Ellie’s Pet Barn, Jay Moody HVAC, Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG), TidePool Bookshop Book Nook, Fenway Bark Dog Resort, Castinetti Realty Group, Maggie’s Food for Pets, Side Quest Dog Training, WCRN and PetMedic Westborough.
Despite ongoing economic challenges, some unfortunate construction timing in Lancaster, and rising event costs, Pet Rock Fest continued its long tradition of uniting the region’s animal welfare community for a common cause — raising funds and awareness for animals in need.
“Every group here may focus on something different — rescue, reform, education, veterinary care — but all of it comes down to kindness to animals,” added Arsenault.
Pet Rock Fest has distributed more than half a million dollars to animal welfare causes since its founding in 1999. Updates on this year’s charity recipients and 2026 festival plans will be posted at petrockfest.org and our social media pages.
About Pet Rock Fest
Celebrating more than 25 years, Pet Rock Fest is the largest animal welfare festival in the Northeast. Held annually in the fall, it features guest speakers, vegetarian food, live music, games, a raffle, vendors, and participation from hundreds of animal welfare organizations. Beyond its flagship festival, Pet Rock Fest is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to raising funds year-round for animal welfare nonprofits and causes across New England. Donations to Pet Rock Fest are tax-deductible and directly support efforts to improve the lives of animals in need.
If you’d like more information, visit www.petrockfest.org.
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