An athletically gifted Frisbee-catching dog; another, with a seemingly bionic nose capable of sniffing out even the smallest amount of illegal substance; yet another, a pit bull and ambassador of the breed, who took home the American Humane Association’s 2013 Hero Dog of Year award, for her work as a therapy dog in Roanoke Rapids — Otis, Elza and Elle will be just part of the entertainment and excitement at the Humane Society of Beaufort County’s PetFest 2014.

From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Festival Park and the Washington waterfront will be home to the inaugural PetFest, a day in which animal lovers, animal welfare activists and the animals themselves can meet up for a day of fun. The event will be launched with a group fundraising dog walk for HSBC at 10 a.m., followed by a lineup of demonstrations, from obedience and agility demos to watching Elza, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office narcotics unit’s drug-detecting dog, doing what she does best: hunt down controlled substances. The $25 registration fee for the dog walk includes a T-shirt and goody bag.

While animal-friendly, the event is a way to get information out to the public, and to do some fundraising, but in a fun way, according to Dr. Marty Poffenberger, president of the local humane society. Veterinary clinics, Humane Society volunteers, Beaufort County Animal Control representatives and rescue organizations will be on hand to give out information, from the humane society’s spay/neuter program to dental care for pets.

“We’ll have some good information out there because it is basically about animals. … Animal Control will be there to talk about their jobs and ordinances — what they do as Animal Control,” Poffenberger said. “Pamlico Animal Hospital will focus on health care, but specifically focus on dental health, and Chocowinity Veterinary Hospital is focusing on first aid.”

Adding to the fun is the “Smooch the Pooch” booth, in which one people-loving dog will be available for kisses.

‘We’re going to sell dog kisses,” Poffenberger laughed.

Poffenberger said there will be something for everyone at PetFest. For children, there will be games, face painting, inflatables and a photo booth. For pet owners with active dogs, an obstacle course, set up by Pamlico Fence, will give people a chance to test their dog’s agility.

Other PetFest highlights include Bath 4-H animals on display, pet caricature drawings by local artist and Pets of the Week coordinator Dottie Walker and pet portraiture by Capturing Canines photographer Will Preslar.

“I think it’s great what the humane society does — this is a great way to showcase their efforts in a way that involves all the community,” Preslar said. “I can’t wait to capture all those canine portraits.”

For those bringing pets, Poffenberger advised attendees bringing dogs to make sure their pets are in good health, are current on vaccines and leashed appropriately.

“A good, sturdy leash. We don’t want retractable leashes,” she said. “We don’t want dogs getting away from anybody or dogs having any type of altercation.”

While the weather this time of year may be unpredictable, Poffenberger said PetFest will go on, rain or shine.

“I‘m hoping that it’s warm and if we get a little rain, we’ll just tough it out, we won’t let it dampen our fun,” she said.