It’s that time of year again when Sonoma’s most adorable citizens take center stage—some furry, some feathered, all indubitably fabulous.
Pets Lifeline’s Critter Carnival returns Saturday, Oct. 18, from 11am to 2pm at the organization’s state-of-the-art shelter on 8th Street East in Sonoma, promising a free, family-friendly day of music, games and good vibes—all in the service of our four-legged (and occasionally winged) friends.
“The Critter Carnival is a celebration of community and compassion,” says Mary Serafini, events coordinator at Pets Lifeline. “It’s a day where families, friends and animal lovers can come together to enjoy fall festivities, connect with our mission and just have fun.”
And fun is indeed the order of the day. Think live music by Curley & Curlier, Aunt Betty’s famous corn dogs, pumpkin and face painting by Mama Mary, gelato from Fiorello’s and enough cotton candy to make a raccoon reconsider its diet. The carnival will also feature classic games courtesy of Sonoma Party Rentals, plus a raffle for a basket of local goodies—a collection of community-made treats and treasures fit for both humans and their loyal companions.
When I spoke with Serafini recently, the affection she and her team have for the animals—and the community—was palpable. “We’re not just going to have dogs and cats here,” she says. “We actually might even have birds. We hate to narrow it down—our day-to-day is focused on cats and dogs and their welfare, but we’ve invited some folks to bring other critters too.”
Among them is a local bird enthusiast who strolls around with parrots and parakeets perched on his shoulders, delighting children and charming the crowd. Serafini notes with a laugh, “Everyone will be separate in their own little zone—dogs, cats and birds alike.”
Upstairs in the shelter, the cats enjoy what she calls their “private loft,” lounging in individual rooms with access to an outdoor catio—essentially a screened-in terrace for safe feline sunbathing. “Some of the cats can go outside and hang out in the outdoor air and view the public from atop,” she says.
The Critter Carnival isn’t a fundraiser, Serafini emphasizes. It’s a community open house—an invitation for locals to meet adoptable pets and maybe, just maybe, fall in love. “It’s the season for people to nest a little bit,” she says. “No better way than to have a furry creature to come home with and nest at home for the holidays and the fall season.”
A quick scan of the Pets Lifeline website confirms that falling in love is practically guaranteed. There’s Cloudy, a cat currently in foster care who’s “really playful and fun,” says Serafini, and a host of dogs—some photographed in full fall regalia, including one named Jackson Browne in a Superman costume. The team just rescued 11 new dogs from Contra Costa County shelters, who will soon be up for adoption and ready to meet their new families at the event.
Pets Lifeline has been part of the Sonoma landscape since the early 1980s, founded by a handful of determined locals who began rescuing animals long before there was an official shelter. Their once-humble operation has since evolved into a state-of-the-art facility, completed in 2021, surrounded by pollinator-friendly gardens and built to provide comfort for both animals and the humans who care for them.
Whether one comes for the corn dogs, the kittens or the raw energy of Curley & Curlier, the Critter Carnival is the ticket to feel-good fall fun. Meow.
Pets Lifeline Critter Carnival, 11am–2pm, Saturday, Oct. 18, 19686 8th St. East, Sonoma. Free and open to the public. petslifeline.org/critter-carnival.
