Best Friends Animal Society’s Strut Your Mutt Day is October 23

Best Friends Animal Society’s annual Strut Your Mutt event is back with a virtual fundraiser that allows pet lovers across the country to raise funds for their favorite local shelter, rescue, or animal welfare organization. Last year’s event raised more than $1.5 million dollars. 

The 2021 Strut Your Mutt Day will take place on Oct. 23 and although this is primarily a virtual event, many Best Friends Network Partners across the country have planned in-person, outdoor walks, so participants can check here to see if any local groups are getting together for a Strut. 

Another fun and simple way to maximize your Strut Your Mutt lifesaving efforts is to utilize ResQwalk, a free mobile app that lets you support a favorite animal welfare organization just by getting out and moving. Get your Strut Your Mutt team in on the lifesaving action today by signing up for ResQWalk. This year, ResQWalk is integrated with Strut Your Mutt, so you can now track your ResQWalks and mileage inside your fundraising center. 

Joe Gatto, star of Impractical Jokers and The Misery Index, is the official Strut Your Mutt spokesperson this year, along with his 9 rescue pups that are featured in his book The Dogfather.  

“I can’t imagine my life without rescue dogs and recognize how many animals there are out there who still need our help. I couldn’t be more excited to support the good people at Best Friends Animal Society and have some fun at this incredible event,” Gatto said. 

Walkers can register for free at www.strutyourmutt.org to join Strut Your Mutt as individuals or members of a team. The event is not just limited to dogs and people that love them. Many cat organizations have also benefitted from being a part of Strut Your Mutt. The website provides innovative, interactive fundraising tools for walkers to share on social media and raise funds for the animal welfare group of their choice.  

Participants can also follow the fun on the Strut Your Mutt Facebook page. The fun starts at 9:00 a.m. ET with a welcome from Joe Gatto, followed by strutters across the country at 11:00, Best Costume and Best Kisser contests at 1:00, highlights and awards at 3:00 and 5:00, and a special closing by Joe at 5:15. 

“Best Friends is so grateful to Joe for helping raise awareness and funds for Strut Your Mutt. The last year has been incredibly difficult for shelters and animal welfare organizations, so funds are needed now more than ever to empower this important, lifesaving work,” said Holly Sizemore, chief mission officer for Best Friends Animal Society.  

To learn more or to register for Strut Your Mutt, visit www.strutyourmutt.org.  

About Best Friends Animal Society 

Best Friends Animal Society is a leading animal welfare organization working to end the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters by 2025. Founded in 1984, Best Friends is a pioneer in the no-kill movement and has helped reduce the number of animals killed in shelters from an estimated 17 million per year to about 347,000. Best Friends runs lifesaving programs all across the country, as well as the nation’s largest no-kill animal sanctuary. Working collaboratively with a network of more than 3,300 animal welfare and shelter partners, and community members nationwide, Best Friends is working to Save Them All®. For more information, visit bestfriends.org.