San Diego Humane Society’s Walk for Animals unleashes fun and charity in Point Loma
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Someone let the dogs out and they were on their best behavior at the San Diego Humane Society’s 29th annual Walk for Animals on May 6 in NTC Park at Liberty Station in Point Loma.
Hardly a snarl nor a growl was heard from the more than 4,000 people and their leashed pets who walked shoulder to shoulder for either a 1-mile or half-mile course.
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“It’s fantastic,” said Lauren Powell, a Pacific Beach resident who was there with her two small mixed breeds, Darla, 2, and Daisy, 9.
“We did the half-mile for the little dogs,” said Powell, who carried Daisy part of the way.
Powell’s friend Heidi Shaw of Point Loma brought an older dog, Mikey, 12, another mixed breed.
“I just call him my little brown dog,” Shaw said. “He did great. He was carried a couple of times, but he likes all the dogs and all the people.”
Powell and Shaw were participating in the event for the first time and said they went for the fun of getting outside on a beautiful day, joining a large community event and raising money for a good cause.
The walk, which raised an estimated $300,000, is second only to the annual Fur Ball gala as the Humane Society’s largest fundraiser of the year, said Gary Weitzman, chief executive of the San Diego Humane Society.
“It helps us take care of 45,000 animals in San Diego County every year,” Weitzman said.
In addition to the walk, the event featured live music, a pancake breakfast and dozens of vendors with information and products such as dog food, leashes, dog day care and adoption, apparel for dogs and their owners, a Labrador rescue and a booth where people could have a cartoon caricature drawn of their dog.
The walk isn’t always just for canines. People sometimes have brought miniature horses, goats, potbellied pigs, and cats in strollers.
In April, the city of San Diego approved a new 10-year contract with the Humane Society for pet adoptions and sheltering stray animals. The organization handles animal control for 14 of the 18 cities in San Diego County.
