On October 1, 2011 the Monmouth County SPCA (MCSPCA) took a trip back in time for the 18th Annual Grateful Dog Walk and Pet Fair. Tie dyes, bell bottoms and love beads could be seen all over the Brookdale Campus as dogs and their companions were letting it all hang out to help the homeless animals of the MCSPCA. The event saw over 1,700 groovy supporters raise $120,000.
The WOOFstock themed event was complete with everybody coming together on the great lawn to listen to the sounds of The Wag and Underground Junction. Nobody was protesting the aerial acrobatics on display during the Frisbee demonstrations, but there were plenty of picketers reminding participants to get their 50/50 tickets and promoting the other attractions. The 50/50 total was over $40,000 with over $20,000 going to the winner, can you dig it?
The event saw some far out fundraising with the top three individuals competing for their dog to be “leashed up” as the 2012 Honorary Chairdog, which will be featured in the logo for next year’s walk. With over $7,000 in pledges Melissa Sfarra and her Italian greyhound Pinot beat out the 2011 honorees Keaton and Sydney. The Maltese rescues and their human companion Jill Bergmann came in second place with over $6,000 in donations. This year’s funding raising competition saw a lot of good vibes as the top three combined to raise over $20,000 a Dog Walk first.
If walking wasn’t your thing there were plenty of would be hippies having a blast shopping at all of the animal-friendly vendors, checking out the agility ring or visiting the Doggie Wedding Chapel to exchange howls at the canine PUPtuals. The action didn’t stop there as many of the walkers also strutted their stuff on the cat walk for the costume contest. The guest judges included Dr. Brian Voynick, host of cable television’s The Pet Stop, MCSPCA Executive Director, Laurie Garrison and Run for the Animals race founder, Robby Murphy.
The Monmouth County SPCA Grateful Dog Walk saw over 80 sponsors and vendors lend their support to help make the 2011 Walk a far out success. For the eighth year Red Bank Veterinary Hospital served as the corporate partner for the annual event. Other sponsors for the Walk included Sea Girt Animal Hospital & Middletown Animal Hospital and When Doody Calls.
The Dog Walk and Pet Fair is the Monmouth County SPCA’s largest fundraising event of the year and the proceeds allow them to care for thousands of homeless animals throughout Monmouth County. So don’t be a drag man make sure you mark your calendar for the 2012 Monmouth County SPCA Dog Walk and Pet Fair. For more information on how you can participate in the Walk next year please contact Development Coordinator Stephanie Attaway via email at stephanie@monmouthcountyspca.org or call 732-440-1558.
