Barking up a storm at the Mutt Strut

With a bark bark here and a bark bark there, the 2nd Annual Whitecourt Mutt Strut on Saturday September 24 scored four furry paws up! The dog walk and run was held at Rotary Park and featured several dog-centred booths including Global Pet Foods, Second Chance Animal Rescue Society (SCARS), and Pet Spa & Portraits.

Original Joe’s (OJ) played a big role in the event, bringing in their Heart Cart food truck to serve up delicious fare following the five kilometre strut. Whitecourt OJ’s general manager Ellen Elton said being part of an event like Mutt Strut is fantastic because, “We just love people and animals and we want to make sure we support organizations that take care of both,” adding that helping to raise awareness for groups and causes is a big priority. The Original Joe’s food truck, shared amongst the Northern Alberta restaurants and used to recognize groups that do great things, was on hand dishing out burgers and hot dogs to participants. “Our goal is to prepare 5,000 meals for people this year and after today’s event, we will be at roughly 3,900,” said Ellen.

One of the organizations OJ wanted to support is SCARS because they do so much for animals in many communities including Whitecourt. Myrna Coombs, SCARS vice-president, and 10 volunteers were at the event talking with pet owners about safe practices including spaying and neutering. Since its founding in 2002 the society, which actually began as the Lac La Biche Humane Society, has averaged 800 re-homed animals per year but as Myrna pointed out, “This year we are already at over 700, so we are ahead.”

Throughout the event, furry friends went for a nice long walk, received delicious treats from Global Pet Foods, posed for a picture from Pet Spa & Portraits, and made plenty of friends. This year, attendance tripled and organizers are hoping to keep the momentum going for next year. To learn more about bringing home a rescue and giving a dog or cat a second chance, please visit www.scarscare.ca.