Get Ready Portland for Strut Your Mutt Saturday, Sept. 29, at Laurelhurst Park

Media Contact
Eric Rayvid : 917-861-8290 or ericr@bestfriends.org

2011 Strut Your Mutt logoGet your pooch warmed up for the ultimate community dog walk and doggie festival. It's time for Best Friends Animal Society's Strut Your Mutt. This is the first year the event has come to Portland, which is one of nine cities where the event is being held this month.

Join us in a relaxing dog walk to help homeless pets, and then celebrate afterwards at Laurelhurst Park at the ultimate doggie festival. Animal lovers in Portland will be raising money to benefit homeless pets and at the same time have a great time with their dogs.

What: Greater Portland Community Dog Walk and Ultimate Doggie Festival

When: Saturday, Sept. 29 Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. Dog Walk at 9 a.m. Festival ends at 12 noon

Where: Laurelhurst Park, 3756 SE Oak St., Portland

Other Strut Your Mutt Cities: New York, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Lafayette, La., Baltimore, Austin, Texas, St. Louis, Jacksonville, Fla.

Why: To raise money for participating local animal rescue groups (local partners of the Best Friends Animal Society Network), with the goal of bringing about a time when there are No More Homeless Pets®.

Visuals: Crunch Fitness is hosting Doggie Yoga, Sit Stay Fit (exercise and training with your dog), Nose Work demos by K-9 Enterprises, Flyball demos by X-Fidos, Tellington T Touch by Pawsitive Companion, Belly Rub Hub with Heal Animal Massage Therapy, Pet Portraits will be available at the Portland Run A-Mutt Dog & Cat Care booth, provided by Leyla Duechle Photography, Ask the Trainer sponsored by Doggy Business.

National sponsors: Petco Foundation, Petfinder.com and Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Pet Foods®.

Where the Money Goes: The following local network partners of Best Friends Animal Society will benefit from the event: Born Again Pit Bull Rescue, Clackamas County Dog Services, Family Dogs New Life Shelter, Fence For Fido, GoodFellas Rescue, Luv-a-Bull Dog Rescue, Multnomah County Animal Services, My Way Home Dog Rescue and the West Columbia Gorge Humane Society. Funds raised through Strut Your Mutt will be used to fund lifesaving adoption programs and spay/neuter services, to ultimately impact the number of pets entering and leaving the shelters.

About Best Friends Animal Society®

Best Friends Animal Society is a nonprofit organization building no-kill programs and partnerships that will bring about a day when there are No More Homeless Pets®. The society's leading initiatives in animal care and community programs are coordinated from its Kanab, Utah, headquarters, the country's largest no-kill sanctuary. This work is made possible by the personal and financial support of a grassroots network of supporters and community partners across the nation.

To become a fan of Best Friends Animal Society on Facebook: //www.facebook.com/bestfriendsanimalsociety

To follow Best Friends on Twitter: //twitter.com/bestfriends

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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 around 400,000 last year. Best Friends runs lifesaving programs across the country, as well as the nation’s largest no-kill animal sanctuary. Working collaboratively with a network of more than 4,600 animal welfare and shelter partners, and community members nationwide, Best Friends is working to Save Them All®. For more information, visit bestfriends.org