The Pearl River County SPCA hosted its biannual Wellness in the Park event Saturday, April 20, at Crosby Commons, offering low-cost pet services and welcoming a record number of vendors in an expanded format.

PRCSPCA President Lauren Fitts said the event, which began as a small wellness clinic in 2015, has grown significantly and now regularly draws hundreds of pet owners. “We typically see about 400 to 450 animals on a Saturday,” Fitts said. “I’ll be curious to see what our numbers are today because there are a lot of people here.”

The spring event, held two weeks after the Picayune Street Festival, had previously been hosted at Jack Read Park. But after outgrowing that space, the organization moved the event to Crosby Commons to accommodate more vendors and create a more family-friendly environment. “We had 28 vendors and two food trucks—Moe’s Barbecue and Granny G’s—so it’s turned into more than just a vaccine clinic,” Fitts said.

While not offering complete wellness exams, the event provided a variety of affordable services for pets, including rabies and wellness vaccines, bordetella shots, microchipping, and heartworm testing. The cost for basic services, such as rabies and wellness vaccines, was $10 each, which is significantly lower than typical veterinary clinic rates. “You’re looking at about $45 total here for services that might run closer to $150 or $200 elsewhere,” Fitts said.

Fitts noted that while the shelter primarily serves residents of Pearl River County, the event is open to the public, including those from surrounding areas. “You don’t have to live in Pearl River County to come. People from Slidell, the Coast—anywhere—are welcome to take advantage of this.”

She added that the PRCSPCA plans to return to Crosby Commons for its fall event and hopes to continue expanding with more vendors and food trucks.