The Estevan Humane Society had a new date and a new location for its annual Dr. Neil Howard Memorial Dog Jog, but that didn’t deter people from supporting the event.
The Dog Jog was held at Woodlawn Regional Park on June 4. About 50 people and numerous dogs walked a kilometre and a half through the park, with Rotary Park serving as the start-finish line. Lunch was served and prizes were handed out following the walk.
“The Dog Jog raised $2,500 in pledges, and then a couple hundred more in T-shirt sales,” said event spokesperson Jane Howard, who is Dr. Howard’s daughter.
In recent years, the Dog Jog would start at the Estevan Shoppers Mall and move through northeast Estevan, during the middle of September. The shift to Woodlawn Regional Park in June this year proved to be beneficial.
“We did really, really well this year, considering we were competing with a lot of events in town,” said Howard. “But the weather is nice, and everybody’s anxious to get out of the house and get some sunshine. It’s just a really good time to be out fundraising, and Woodlawn is a fantastic venue for this kind of thing.”
The people who participated were very happy with the Dog Jog and they were happy to give their dogs a chance to interact.
Alex and Matthew Gillies were the top fundraiser at the event. They walked Sadie, who is one of the dogs available at the shelter, and raised more than $600.
Other highlights from the Dog Jog included a bouncy castle, a chili lunch and a petting zoo.
The humane society has hosted a dog jog for many years, but in recent years, it has been named after Dr. Howard, who was a longtime veterinarian in the Estevan area. He passed away in 2005.
