By Jacob Engels
On Friday afternoon, rock legend and Poison front man Bret Michaels made a special one-time appearance at the PetSmart in Waterford Lakes to promote Pets Rock, his new line of pet toys and accessories. Bret autographed special lanyards that were given to individuals who picked them up prior to the event at PetSmart and spent $10 or more on Pets Rock items.
Becky Wilgower, who was one of the first to meet Bret, waited several hours to see him with her Dachshund Yonkel. She has been listening to Poison since the early 90’s. Another fan, named Jennifer, brought her St. Berard Penelope along with her to see Bret (SEE ABOVE PICTURE).
Eager fans poured through consistently for the next two and a half hours. Some brought pictures, guitars, and other items for Bret to autograph. Bret made sure to interact with every single fan often hugging them and talking about their favorite songs and playing with their pets. Around 630, Bret ducked out, but not before taking a quick picture with PetSmart employees and the store manager.
Before he was whisked away, we were able to ask Bret a few questions about Pets Rock —
How has the response been so far to Pets Rock?
It’s been overwhelming and humbling. It’s doing so well, and our chance dog toy did record breaking fund raising for charity. I’ve been an avid pet fan and animal lover my whole life, so it’s been exciting to do something I’m as passionate about as music and to see it come to fruition.
Ya never know. We will just keep evolving the line and continue keeping it fresh and appealing.
To learn more about Pets Rock, click here
Jacob Engels, is the Founder of East Orlando Post. Along with the Post, he owns several other business and is currently enrolled at Valencia College. Jacob has lived in Avalon Park since it’s founding and enjoys playing with his black Labradoodle Jasper, listening to indie rock, and seeking out new business ventures. He can be reached at info@eastorlandopost.com