The Lexington Humane Society (LHS) will host their annual one-mile "Mutt Strut" at Coldstream Dog Park on Saturday, June 10.
This upcoming event is an opportunity for dog owners and foster parents to show off their pups while making new friends and supporting the Lexington Humane Society.
The annual Mutt Strut has been going on for 15 years. Every single year, the LHS takes the profits earned from the event and uses every dollar for the animals in their care.
“Our budget is over two million dollars, and we have to rely on a lot of donations to support that.” Meghan Hawkins, director of community engagement for LHS, said.
LHS is a nonprofit organization, meaning they rely solely on individual donations and donations they gain from their annual events.
“We have seen a huge intake of big dogs in our care recently. We have had a lot more in our care this year than we have last year or years previous. Which affects our budget, since big dogs eat more and require more resources,” Hawkins said.
LHS has seen an increase in cat adoptions after the pandemic. Hawkins said that after COVID-19, single people and families looked for low-maintenance and relatively cheap companions. Big dogs do not seem to fit that bill.
So, for the increase of big dogs in the shelter, there need to be more donations to keep up with the demand.
“We will have some of our experienced volunteers walking around with some of our adoptable dogs. But for this event, people bring their own dogs to showcase and we want to celebrate that,” Hawkins said.
The Mutt Strut will take place from 8 a.m to 12 p.m on June 10. Anyone can register online. Registration is open until day of, however, those who register by May 15 at 5 p.m. will receive a free T-shirt.
“We want to thank the people who support us and allow us to continue to take care of the animals. We do almost 5,000 adoptions a year so it takes a village and we appreciate those who are able to support us and donate to us,” Hawkins said.
To support LHS, visit their website.