ALTON - Community members can give back to a local pet food pantry and enjoy animal-friendly fun at The Episcopal Parish of Alton’s Dawgs 4 Paws event.
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From 2–4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church will host Dawgs 4 Paws, featuring vendors, a silent auction, photo ops, live music, food, pet-themed activities and more. Attendees are encouraged to bring their animals and donations for the 4Paws Pet Food Pantry at St. Paul’s.
“The church is more than just the people sitting in the pews in a building,” said Father Garron Daniels. “The church is the gathered community, and our responsibility as a church is the wider community and supporting and helping our wider community. This is one of our many ways we try to do exactly that while having a good time and having a lot of fun.”
The church’s men’s group will sell hotdogs, and 14 vendors are signed up to sell their crafts and treats. A silent auction will be held throughout the event.
People are encouraged to bring their pets. Fr. Daniels asks that pets remain leashed and with their owners.
He will provide pet blessings for those who wish to receive them. Fr. Daniels understands that pets are an important part of the family, and he is happy to pray over these animals.
Great Rivers Animal Hospital will be onsite to administer rabies and distemper/parvo vaccines at no cost. This “poke and go” program will allow many dogs and cats to receive their vaccinations. Madison County Animal Care and Control will also give out dog tags.
People are encouraged to donate to the 4Paws Pet Food Pantry. This pantry provides a month’s supply of pet food and treats to owners in need, no questions asked. The pantry is open from 1:30–2:30 p.m. on the first Sunday of each month at St. Paul’s.
Fr. Daniels believes the pet food pantry allows people to keep their pets. He pointed out that people fall on hard times for any number of reasons, and the pet food pantry doesn’t ask questions. They simply want to make sure your pets are fed so you can focus on your own needs and have one less thing to worry about.
“People come down on hard times or can’t pay medical bills. Now they have to ask themselves, ‘Okay, do I feed my pet or feed myself?’ And a lot of times, people will, of course, like I would, feed my pet before I feed myself,” he explained. “We want to be able to alleviate that. If we can have people take care of their pet and know that their pet is going to have food, then they can take care of their own needs and not have to worry about sacrificing food for themselves or having to put their pet up for adoption or put them in the shelter, which solves nothing.”
Fr. Daniels added that the pet food pantry sees around 40 people every month, which speaks to the need in the community. The Episcopal Parish of Alton hopes to help people by connecting them to resources and providing assistance where possible.
“It really opens your eyes to the deep, serious needs that our community has,” he said. “It goes beyond just pet food, but if we’re able to help a little bit in this way, it goes a long way. It’s just part of the network of support that we can provide between us and Crisis Food Center and everyone else in this community that tries to step up and help people in need. We’re just blessed that we're able to do this, and this is such a vital part of the ministry of the Episcopal Parish of Alton.”
You can help in this mission by attending Dawgs 4 Paws on Oct. 4. Fr. Daniels expressed his appreciation for the people and organizations who have worked to make the pet food pantry possible, and he hopes to welcome many folks out to the event on Oct. 4 to further their mission and have a fun day.
“It’s really amazing, the community support we’ve seen,” he said. “It’s a whole lot of fun, and it’s just a great time for both community members and for parishioners to come together to celebrate a ministry that is really active.”
For more information, visit the official Facebook event page or click here.
This featured article is sponsored by the Episcopal Parish of Alton. To get your business or organization featured on www.RiverBender.com, contact us at sales@riverbender.com.
