Move Your Paws for a Great Cause at the Humane Society’s Walk & Wag-a-Thon and Pet Fair on November 5th

Gather your pledges, leash up Fido and come out to have fun and help the homeless animals of Harford County

For Immediate Release

Contact: Mary Leavens
Humane Society of Harford County
410-836-1090, x101
[email protected]

Fallston, MD (September 27, 2011) – There’s a chill in the air which can only mean one thing: it’s time for Harford County’s premiere pet event, the Walk & Wag-a-Thon and Pet Fair! Join hundreds of other animal lovers on Saturday, November 5, 2011 to raise funds for the animals at the Humane Society of Harford County (HSHC). This family-oriented event runs from 8:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. at the Harford County Equestrian Center, 608 N. Tollgate Road in Bel Air.

Move your paws for a great cause and get started now raising pledges for Harford County’s homeless and neglected animals. It’s easy and it’s fun to join us. Go to www.harfordshelter.org and follow the links to print a pledge sheet and set up your own personalized fundraising page. Ask your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors to support the animals with a tax-deductible donation. Challenge your co-workers to form a team and fundraise together as a pack. Prizes will be awarded to the team and the individual that raises the most money.

The Walk & Wag-a-Thon and Pet Fair, the largest event of its kind in Harford County, is a fun-filled day of contests, demonstrations, raffles, vendor displays, and more. This year’s walk will feature Joyce Lilly from 4 Paws Spa in Forest Hill. Lilly will provide an exciting agility demonstration and guests can then try taking their dog through the tunnels, weaves and jumps. Representatives from Mid-Atlantic Disc Dogs will be back this year to delight the crowd with their high-flying antics set to toe-tapping music.

Bring donations and pledge sheets to the walk registration table beginning at 8:30 a.m. on November 5th. Bandanas will be given to the first 200 dogs to register. Event t-shirts will be given to participants who raise $100 or more. The walk steps off at 11 a.m. Enjoy a multitude of contests throughout the event including: best costume, best kisser, musical tails, best trick, and human/canine lookalike. A $1 donation is suggested to enter each contest.

If you don’t own a dog, or if your pet is not able to walk, borrow a deserving shelter dog for the morning. Call 410-836-1090, x102 to reserve a dog. A limited number of dogs are available and must be reserved prior to the event.

Four different levels of sponsorships are available to showcase your business in front of hundreds of animal lovers. Vendor spaces are also available inside the vendor pavilion. New this year are bingo cards given to participants who must receive a sticker from each vendor in order to win a grand prize at the conclusion of the event. Our event sponsor is Animal Emergency Hospital.  For more information about becoming a vendor or sponsoring the event, visit www.harfordshelter.org or contact Mary Leavens at 410-836-1090, x101.

Schedule of Events:

8:30 a.m. Registration / Vendor Pavilion Open

9:00 Costume Contest
Bring your own costume and strut your stuff for a chance to win a great prize!

9:30 Agility Demonstration
Learn all about this fun and enriching activity for you and your dog! After the demo, try your dog on the course.

10:15 Best Kisser Contest
Pucker up and enter your dog to win a great prize!

10:30 Human/Canine Lookalike Contest
Do you bear a striking resemblance to your 4-legged friend? Enter and find out if our judges agree!

11:00 Walk Steps Off / Ribbon Cutting / Blessing of the Animals

11:30 Mid-Atlantic Disc Dogs Show
You’re in for a treat when these high-flying dogs start wowing the crowd with their leaps and acrobatics!

12pm Best Trick Contest
Showcase your dog’s best trick for prizes!

12:30 Musical Tails Contest
The last dog sitting when the music stops is out!

1:00 Conclusion of Event

About the Humane Society of Harford County
The Humane Society of Harford County, Inc., is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to the welfare and well-being of the approximately 4,500 animals that come to us each year. We promote the kind treatment of homeless, stray and abandoned animals by providing shelter, care, adoptions, and community education. We are not a county agency nor are we affiliated with any national or regional organization. Your tax-deductible donations, bequests, and proceeds from events are crucial to our life-saving efforts on behalf of the animals of our community.