Humans and Their Dogs Get a Workout Together for a Great Cause

Dog Lovers from all over Georgia came together on Saturday, April 13, 2019 to support a

great cause all while getting a good workout for themselves and their dog.

The second annual Street Dog Dash 5K happened at the new Etowah River Park in Canton, Ga. The 5K is ran by people and their dogs in efforts to raise money to help fight the illegal meat trade in Asia. It may be an issue that is hard to believe as a United States citizen, but it is happening. According to the event’s website, there are nearly 30 million dogs killed for human consumption each year in Asia.

Event Director Haley Williams found this statistic as inspiration to start such an event. “They actually torture the dogs before killing them because they believe that the adrenaline in the bloodstream makes the meat taste better, which is not true. So, finding that out made

me want to do something about it,” said Williams.

The dogs started out in a frenzy as the runners got registered and got their numbers. There was a ton of barking and owners holding back their dogs with all they had. Everything went

smoothly once the race started and everyone had some personal space.

The 5K drew a sizeable crowd of humans, as well as their dog companions. The event is made possible from some big sponsors like Camp Bow Wow, a luxury doggy day & overnight camp, and Chick-Fil-A of Canton, Ga. The sponsors even raffled off prizes to all the race participants after the race. Some of the big prizes included where a week of free boarding at camp Bow Wow and a free week of Orangetheory Fitness.

The proceeds of the 5K go to the Soi Dog Foundation, who are fighting to put an end to the illegal dog meat trade. Another key component of the event is the help they get from their volunteers. There was also no shortage of people willing to help, according to Williams. “We had about 25 people volunteer for us this year and it is only our second time doing this 5k.”

https://youtu.be/kqGSQDurjcU