It will be a dog's day out Sunday in Springbank Park.
The Humane Society London & Middlesex (HSLM) will host its first annual Walk for the Animals from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Pooches, and their owners, will have their choice of a 1.2 kilometre loop or 2.2 kilometre loop.
The all ages event is being held to raise funds for the day-to-day operations at the Humane Society's shelter on Clarke Road.
"We have over 130 pets already registered for the event and together that group has already raised over $17,000 with a couple more days still to go. We are super excited and appreciative of that," said Steve Ryall, executive director of the humane society. "This money will help provide life-saving care for animals at the shelter and get them into new homes."
Ryall said the shelter is consistently running at over capacity.
"On a day-to-day basis, we range from anywhere between 180 to 200 animals, depending on species and our space available," said Ryall. "It is quite a daunting task every day to make sure all animals' health is looked after, they're fed and have a bed. More importantly, their socialization is happening too. It is a big process that happens 365 days a year at the shelter."
Humane society volunteers will be on site Sunday selling HSLM merchandise and pet gifts. As well, all participants of the walk will be given a complimentary access pass into Humpty's Howl-o-ween, a dog-focused Halloween event happening at Storybook Gardens in the afternoon.
People who can't make it to the event in Springbank can still sign up and raise funds by walking in their own neighbourhood. Registration is available online at www.hslm.ca.
"It's all about the dogs and we all know as dog owners when our dogs are happy, we're happy," said Ryall.
