Cape home show draws vendors, pets

About 125 vendors filled the upstairs and downstairs of the Show Me Center on Friday with booths that focus on everything from pools and spas, to power tools and cell phones, and gardening and waterproofing.

According to event coordinator Sarah Guinger, 8,000 to 10,000 people will pass through the 24th annual Home and Garden Show during the three days it is in Cape Girardeau.

Part of the upstairs was devoted to the pet theater, where a handful of pet-related tables are set up.

The Humane Society of Southeast Missouri has volunteers at the show, and on Friday the volunteers had a dog and cat available for adoption.

"It's a good place to let people know we're here because we're so easily forgotten," said volunteer Kim Shultz. Shultz said they planned to bring more animals for adoption to the show today and Sunday.

"The biggest thing is that we want people to feel like we're a part of the community," said Mary Stuart, the Humane Society's events coordinator. "We take advantage of people being able to see us out here. This draws a lot of people."

Two other rescue groups with tables upstairs were the American Brittany Rescue and Adopt A Greyhound.

Sundog Animal Sanctuary, a no-kill shelter in Bloomfield, Mo., is also at this year's home and garden show.

"I think anywhere we can meet the public is a good place to get the word out," said Sundog vice president Brent Cooper.

Although right now the sanctuary only accepts cats, Cooper said, the organization is working on constructing room for dogs.

"We've saved about 140 animals this year. It doesn't seem like a lot, but it's 140 lives," he said.

And one more life was saved by the end of the day Friday, when the puppy from the Humane Society was adopted. Stuart said the day went well, but she was expecting more people to show up at the home and garden show today.

"We had a fair number of people there," Stuart said of Friday. "They're kind of drawn by the animals."

kalfisi@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182