Grab your leashes and head to Mother’s Beach in Kennebunk, Maine this Sunday, September 10, for the 23rd Annual Strut Your Mutt to benefit the Animal Welfare Society.  This is the Animal Welfare Society’s biggest fundraiser, with all proceeds to benefit animals who need expensive medical care while waiting for their forever home.  The festivities begin at 9:00 AM with the fundraiser walk stepping off at 11:00 AM.  In addition to the scenic stroll with hundreds of like-minded animal lovers and their four legged friends, there will be contests, carnival games, canine agility zone, a pet pavilion with local businesses and pet related products, and plenty of dancing to live music from the Serfs.  There will also be a photo booth to capture memories of your dog day out helping animals in need.

Registration is $12 for individuals or $25 for families (2 adults, 4 children).  Participants will receive a limited edition Strut Your Mutt t-shirt for themselves and a bandana for their dog.  Although there isn’t a separate registration for teams, participants are encouraged to to walk as a group with team names and costumes.  There will be awesome prizes awarded to the top fundraisers, including a getaway to Portland complete with a night of dog boarding, so be sure to ask your friends and family for pledges.

Proceeds from Strut Your Mutt benefits the Animal welfare Society’s Sadie Fund.  Named for a special dog, who had to be surrendered because her family could not afford her medical costs, the Sadie Fund helps to pay for expensive medical care needed by some of the homeless animals at AWS.  The Sadie Fund is crucial to making pets healthy, happy and ready for adoption.

2017 marks the 50th Anniversary of the Animal Welfare Society, an open-admission No Kill shelter serving York County, Maine. AWS operates an animal shelter and adoption center in West Kennebunk and offers life saving community programs including Pets and Women to Safety, Paws in Stripes, Paws Across America, Humane Education, Behavior and Training classes and an in-house veterinary clinic. AWS serves as the animal control impound facility for 21 municipalities in York County. AWS is also home to the Cleo Fund providing spay/neuter assistance to individuals and feral cat colony advocates statewide.  To learn more, register for Strut Your Mutt, or make an online donation, please visit Animal Welfare Society’s Strut Your Mutt.