Despite The Weather, Strut Your Mutt Was A Success
Though the day dawned with chilly temperatures and the threat of rain, the weather didn’t dampen the 15th Annual Strut Your Mutt’s festive atmosphere at Veterans Memorial Park on May 22nd. With over 1500 participants, the event, presented by PETCO Foundation and PETCO, raised over $140,000 to help Utah’s homeless cats and dogs.
Introduced by No More Homeless Pets in Utah President Gregory Castle and Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon, 2009 Strut Your Mutt top fundraiser Roxanne Mashburn led the leisurely strut around Veterans Memorial Park.
In addition to the walk, dogs enjoyed taking a dip in the Splash Dogs pool, running the course at Course a’ Lure, testing their coordination at Brickyard Kennel’s Agility Course, and watching Dazzle Dogzz, the Utah Tailblazers Flyball and Thunderpaws Flyball demos. And, of course, they loved hanging out with so many canine friends.
The participants, though, are who really make this event a success–and we especially appreciate all of your fundraising efforts!
This year, the top individual fundraising award went to Julie Kalar, who raised an impressive $5,015. Other top fundraisers were Kathy Cook with $3, 417, Tracy Kelley with $1,850, Ken Passarella with $1,560, and Roxanne Mashburn with $1,530 in pledges.
As for Dog Pack awards, with $1,510 E*TRADE won the coveted Golden Biscuit Award, reserved for corporate Dog Packs with over 25 members. Delta Dog Pack snagged the Golden Leash, for corporate Dog Packs with under 25 members, with an amazing $5,890! Coming in second was the Deer Valley Power Hounds with an impressive $5,371. Diamond Dogs rounded out the top three in the running for the Golden Leash, with $1,930. The friends and family Dog Pack award, the Golden Mutt, went to the South Valley Princesses, who raised $2,440. Rounding out the top three friends and family Dog Packs were Snarls Barkley with $1,165 and Smyths Dog Pack with $935. And the Strut Your Mutt Committee Dog Pack, Castle’s Canine Cohorts, walking in honor of Strut Your Mutt founder Julie Castle, raised $4,505.
Thanks also go to our stage host Marci from X96, our band 2 Steps Back, and all of our volunteers and sponsors who helped make this year’s event a success!