BEST FRIENDS WALK TOGETHER AT SPCA PET WALK

The sixth annual SPCA Eastern Shore “Best Friends Walk Together” Pet Walk is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 31, in Onancock (rain date Saturday, Nov. 7).  Registration for the walk begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Onancock Town Gazebo Park on Market Street.  All participants will receive a goodie bag from the SPCA, and the first 20 people to register will also receive goodie bags provided by Atlantic Animal Hospital.

A variety of activities will be going on at the park throughout the morning, beginning with a costume contest at 9 a.m.   Dress up Fido or Fifi (yourself too, if you’d like) and enter to win awards in five categories:  Best Dressed Adopted Pet (open to adopted pets only), Scariest Pet, Cutest Pet, Most Un-Canine (dressed like another species) Pet, and the Most Original Costume.

From 9:30 a.m. until 10 a.m., you and your pet can play games to compete for prizes.  Show off your pet’s best leash behavior in the Potato-on-a-Spoon race, or test your throwing accuracy in the Toss-the-Beanbag-in-the-E-collar contest.  The top three finishers in each event will win prizes donated by local merchants.

At 10:00 a.m., Zada, an SPCA alumna who has become a therapy dog and an AKC agility champion, will give an agility demonstration with her best friend and trainer Jim Leether.   Following Zada’s demonstration, the public will have the opportunity to let their own pets try their skills on the agility course under Leether’s guidance.

The walk itself is scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m., and participants can choose to follow either a 1-mile or 2½-mile route.  There is a $10 entry fee to participate in the walk, but the fee is waived for anyone who raises $25 or more in pledges.  Pledge forms are available at the shelter at 26528 Lankford Highway in Onley or can be downloaded from www.shorespca.com.  Prizes will be awarded to anyone raising $50 or more in pledges, and the top three fund raisers will also receive prizes donated by local merchants.

Don’t have a pet of your own to walk with?  You can still participate vicariously by making a pledge in support of one of the shelter dogs who will be walking.

Throughout the morning, local artist Stevon Sample will be on hand to do sketches of you and your pet, and you will also be able to have your picture taken with your pet at the SPCA Kissing Booth.

All pets must be leashed, and historically almost all have been dogs, but if you have a pet of another species who would like to participate (pot bellied pig? confident cat?), just leash him or her up and join in the fun!

Non-participants in the walk are welcome to come just to enjoy the other activities taking place at the park.

Prizes for the top three fund raisers and the top three winners in the Potato-in-a-Spoon race and the Toss-the-Beanbag-in-the-E-collar contest have been donated by Eastern Shore Pets, Blue Crab Bay Company, Ten Good Sheep, Shore Good Bakery, the Island Creamery, the Great Machipongo Clam Shack,  the Book Bin,  Panzotti’s Pizza & Waffles, and Maria’s Restaurant and Pizza.

Other organizations participating in the event are Atlantic Animal Hospital, Old Dominion Greyhound Rescue, and Boy Scout Troop #300.

The SPCA Eastern Shore will have their t-shirts and hats available for sale at the event and will also be selling copies of their 2016 Celebrating Rescue Pets calendar.

So that shelter staff can attend the event with some of the dogs currently up for adoption, the shelter’s hours on Oct. 31 will be from noon until 3:00 p.m.

For a paw-some good time, don’t miss the SPCA’s “Best Friends Walk Together” Pet Walk Saturday, Oct. 31., from 8:30 a.m. ‘til 11:30 a.m. at the Gazebo Park on Market Street in Onancock.

CONTACT: Sheila Crockett                                                      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Telephone: 757-787-7385

E-mail:  shorespca@verizon.net