It was a canine cacophony at Cottonwood Island Park yesterday as hundreds of dogs and their two-legged friends made their rounds in support of a local animal organization.
The annual Paws for a Cause walk, hosted by the BC SPCA, in Prince George was one of many taking place in almost 40 communities around the province.
Dogs of all shapes and sizes streamed into the park before the walkers set out on a nearly 2.5-kilometre walk, led by Mayor Dan Rogers and his dog, Freckles.
All money raised from the pledges brought in for the Prince George event go towards the North Cariboo branch of the SPCA, which is the second largest in the province.
Provincewide, the SPCA was aiming to raise $1 million, with the local branch gunning for more than $30,000.
With the weather on their side, the turnout was better than branch manager Angela McLaren had expected.
"The more money we raise, the more we're able to do within the community," she said. The work the North Cariboo branch of the SPCA does locally is already significant, as it shares the the distinction with Kamloops as being one of the only two branches to offer spay and neuter clinics.
Around 3,500 animals get spayed and neutered at the branch, which has resulted in the number of pets needing shelter decreasing by 25 per cent, McLaren said.
The money also helps the branch continue its work on the animal cruelty front.
"At just this branch, we do an average of 350 cruelty investigations a year," McLaren explained. This is in addition to caring and finding homes for roughly 2,500 animals every year.
Early estimates put the walk participation at about 300 people, with online donations amounting to having raised about 40 per cent of the total goal.
This was the first year the BC SPCA has offered online registration, and it was well received, with 103 participants signing up over the Internet, said board member Linda Herbert, who praised the volunteers from the Scotia Bank for helping them navigate through the brand new system on event day.
Another popular new addition to the event was the neckerchiefs for adopted dogs, created by one of the board members. The accessories were sold out before the walk officially began.
