Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Because they are loyal, beautiful, loving, bathe us with kisses, make us laugh and accompany us on our journey through life, the Puerto de Luna Pet Friendly & Family Suites will host Puerto Vallarta's second annual Kukur Tihar festival on Sunday, November 5th from 5:00 to 9:00 pm.

The Kukur Tihar is part of the Tihar, or Festival of Lights, that Hindus celebrate for five days every fall. The second day of this festival is dedicated to expressing appreciation for the loyalty of dogs, and acknowledging the strong bond between humans and pups. In India, dogs are considered the messengers of Lord Yamaraja, the God of Death, and on this day, dogs are offered garlands, a colored chalk-mark on the forehead called a tika and delicious food, all in an effort to demonstrate the important link between humans and dogs.

Here in Puerto Vallarta, the celebration will be held in El Jardín de la Luna at Hotel Puerto de Luna, which has been a very well-known and popular pet-friendly property for almost 10 years. "We consider this festival in honor of the dog important because it raises awareness among the people of Puerto Vallarta about the respect we owe to all animals..." explained the event's organizer, Martha Dau.

In conjunction with the City of Puerto Vallarta through the Municipal Animal Shelter and Welfare Center (El Centro de Acopio), Sociedad Animal, SOS por el Bienestar Animal México, Veterinaria Dogfather and Antemio Maya, a recognized animalist and the president of Properro AC, a full program of activities has been planned so that families can come out and enjoy a fun-filled evening with their dogs.

The program consists of a Kukur Tihar exhibition, a catalog of adoptable pups, brief educational talks, the garland-laying and Tika ceremonies and the offerings of delicacies, as well as two fun contests: "the dog most like its owner" and "the dog with the most skills." After dark, there will be a candlelight memorial. Attendees are encouraged to bring a candle to be lit in memory of all the pets we have lost and in honor of stray and street dogs everywhere.

Since admission is free and open to the public, and the only requirement for entry is that the dogs are leashed and wearing identification tags, more than 300 people and their four-legged friends are expected to attend this family-friendly event.

Entrance will be from Food Park PV starting at 5 pm. Leashes and dog tags will be available for purchase at the gate for those who come unprepared. For those arriving by car, parking will be available on the circus grounds, at a cost of $30 pesos per vehicle.

For more information, see the Kukur Tihar PV event page on Facebook.