Raising funds while having fun in Kanab

As animal lovers far and wide join the effort to help raise money for homeless pets through Best Friends’ national Strut Your Mutt fundraising event, probably the most fun to be had is on home turf. The annual fundraising opportunity empowers individuals to raise money for the animal welfare organization of their choice, including Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, by participating in various charity dog walks around the country. Best Friends Animal Society is hosting its local Strut Your Mutt festival, presented by BOBS from Skechers, Saturday, September 19 at the Sanctuary in Kanab. In addition to the main dog walk event, there are loads of other activities that make it a great day for the whole family.

Windfall for all

Among those walking on behalf of Best Friends are fundraising teams from The Bunny House, Dogtown, Horse Haven, Wild Friends and the Parrot Garden. But the most efficient fundraisers appear to be the folks at Cat World. Much like their sharp-witted charges, the cat caregivers and their supporters have come up with a variety of creative strategies to raise funds. Michelle Warfle, Cat World manager, even held “Cat World presidential elections” to keep their supporters engaged. It’s this type of clever participation that is a hallmark of the event that rallies old friends to the cause while attracting new ones.

The Strut Your Mutt at the Sanctuary will also feature some members of the No-Kill Utah (NKUT) Coalition, a group of passionate individuals, city shelters and animal welfare organizations working together to end the killing of dogs and cats in Utah shelters by 2019. Organizations scheduled to participate in the Kanab event are Providing Animals with Support (PAWS), the Greyhound Gang, and Iron County Animal Shelter, while many other NKUT Coalition members will be joining the Strut You Mutt in Salt Lake City. Most participating organizations consider Strut Your Mutt as their biggest fundraising event of the year.

Best Strut Your Mutt yet

The Strut Your Mutt at the Sanctuary is primed to be the best one yet. Rachel Hyde, national events specialist says, “The local businesses go above and beyond every single year to support Strut Your Mutt, and we are forever grateful their continuous contributions in making the event a success. They have donated to our raffle, sponsored activities, stepped up to do demos and, of course, purchased vendor booths.”

Some of this year’s homespun activities, among others, include the “frost it for Fido” booth, a dog treat decorating station by Dewey Dog News; “paws and pals,” an activity in which people create works of art using finger paints and their dog’s paws; and a “catnip plant pot decorating booth,” where people plant catnip seeds in pots that they have decorated.   

“The Strut Your Mutt in Kanab is the Sanctuary’s big day to shine,” says Rachel. “The Sanctuary is at the heart of all our outreach endeavors, from the initiatives to the work we do with coalitions like NKUT. “To be able to participate in one of our organization’s biggest fundraisers in such a hands-on way is wonderful for our staff, volunteers and visitors. They get to see a microcosm of the work we’re doing across the country to help Save Them All.”

So whether you’re a seasoned animal welfare supporter or someone who just likes animals and wants a fun day out, join the Strut Your Mutt at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab on September 19.

Get involved

Learn more about Strut Your Mutt.