Dog owners in Rocky View County can show love for their four-legged friends May 26 at the Cochrane and Area Humane Society’s (CAHS) 17th annual Mutt Strut, which raises money to support the animals the organization serves throughout the year.
“We put a lot of work into making our animals adoptable, both from a health perspective as well as a behaviour perspective,” said Tracy Keith, executive director with CAHS.
“Our costs continue to rise, but it’s all about trying to save and make adoptable as many animals as possible.”
According to Keith, CAHS has boasted a 100 per cent adoption rate throughout the past few years, which she said the organization hopes to maintain. However, since 98 per cent of the animals CAHS sees have never been vaccinated, de-wormed or spayed or neutered, veterinary expenses can be high.
“Those procedures alone can get quite costly, never mind any additional procedures – even though we have our own in-house hospital, it’s still expensive to run,” Keith said.
“We also serve animals from rural areas that have been in accidents, hit by cars or have various illnesses.”
The Mutt Strut helps raise money to keep the organization running, according to Keith. Dog owners can register online at cochranehumane.ca and begin collecting pledges from family and friends. The day of the event, participants will not only enjoy a morning walk with their canine companions, but can check out a marketplace area with a variety of vendors offering food, coffee and pet-related services.
This year, CAHS celebrates 20 years of serving local animals in need, and Keith said the Mutt Strut will include special surprises to add excitement to the event.
“When people show up, they’ll get a gift bag with different goodies, and we’ll give out prizes for the people who collect the most pledges in various categories – team, individual and youth,” she said. “It’s a really fun family day, and we really appreciate the support.”
Last year marked the first time the Mutt Strut has been held in Airdrie as well as Cochrane, since the organization began expanding its services to include Airdrie just two years ago. Keith said the feedback from the community has been very positive.
“In 2017, we had just under 200 participants in our Mutt Strut there, and we’re hoping for even more this year,” she said.
“The two events are very similar, but the funds raised in Cochrane go toward Cochrane-based animals, and the funds in Airdrie help Airdrie-based animals.”
Registration for the event begins at 9 a.m., with the walk kicking off at 10 a.m. In Cochrane, participants will gather at CAHS, and Airdrie’s Mutt Strut will be held at East Lake Park.
