This article is sponsored by Best Friends Animal Society. It does not reflect the work or opinions of NBC Washington’s editorial staff. To learn more about Best Friends Animal Society, visit bestfriends.org.
To dog owners, there are few things more enjoyable in life than taking your four-legged friend out for a walk. Not only do you get to spend quality time with your dog, but you also get to shed the stress of the day while enjoying fresh air and exercise.
Well, now there’s an even better reason to grab that leash and head outside with your best buddy. That’s because Best Friends Animal Society — the nation’s largest no-kill sanctuary for companion animals — is back with their annual Strut Your Mutt dog walk. Taking place Saturday, October 7 at Wheaton Regional Park in Wheaton, Maryland, Strut Your Mutt is a fun dog walk and fundraising event that brings together thousands of passionate people from all across the country to raise money to save the lives of homeless pets.
But that’s not even the best part. By partnering with local no-kill shelters, Best Friends ensures that all money raised stays in the area to help the local shelter animals. Participants can choose to raise money for Best Friends or for one of hundreds of participating shelters, rescue groups and other animal welfare groups. No matter who you choose to support, the organization you raise funds for gets to keep every dollar you raise. Last year the DC Metro area raised more than $70,000, while this year there’s a chance that — with your help — Best Friends could double that number.
In addition to the walk itself, there will be plenty of fun-filled activities. Enter your dog in the Bobbing for Biscuits contest, play field day games, meet with a vet, participate in the Pet/Human Costume contest and more. Registration for Saturday’s Strut Your Mutt opens at 9 a.m. (or you can register online here), while the walk goes off at 10 a.m. and ends at 1 p.m.
Some 6.5 million companion animals enter shelters across the country ever year, 32 percent of which are euthanized. Help put an end to these grim statistics by donating and by attending Strut Your Mutt.
When we strut together, we can Save Them All.
