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Walkin’ the Dog

 WALKIN’ THE DOG… FOR A WORTHY CAUSE

You know your dog will be wagging its tail and begging you to go for a walk Sunday morning anyway—you may as well grab the leash and join other dog owners and their precious pooches on Sunday, Oct. 14, at the Second Annual Walk-A-Pet For Life Dog Walk in Huntington Central Park.

Proceeds from the walk will benefit the Center for Greyhound Rescue and Pet Animal Recovery, the first non-profit alternative medicine pet rehabilitation center in the U.S. Located in Garden Grove, the licensed facility is expanding to a new, environmentally friendly 2-acre facility nearby. The goal of this event is to raise funds for the construction of the new, state-of-the-art complex, due to open in March 2008.

The dog walk is sponsored by Hemopet, which established the first private non-profit pet animal blood bank in 1991. Having since expanded worldwide, Hemopet/Pet Life-Line is now the largest non-profit pet animal blood bank in the U.S., serving over 2,000 pet clinics throughout North America. With veterinary transfusion medicine a rapidly growing specialty, plans are currently underway to develop other regional centers and to lead a national effort to maximize the use and efficiency of existing inventory. Safe, practical and affordable transfusion medicine continues to be Hemopet’s focus. 

Not only has Hemopet set the standard for animal blood banks, it has for over 20 years operated the word’s most novel greyhound rescue/donor/adoption program. Its Center for Greyhound Rescue and Pet Animal Recovery currently houses a colony of 175 rescued greyhounds that are no longer active in the racing industry. Receiving on-site round-the-clock veterinary care, these healthy greyhounds of universal blood type DEA 4 serve as donors until they are adopted. To date, the center is recognized internationally for having saved more than 1,000 dogs from the racing industry and found them new homes.

The new facility will feature group apartment-style units for 200 dogs, with outdoor exercise yards and playgrounds, in a setting conducive to fostering a connection between the greyhounds and prospective adopters. Additionally, the center will include a Restore Health Center for short-term alternative, transitional, or emergency care of dogs and cats, as well as community rooms for educating both veterinarians and the public about companion animal health, nutritional testing, holistic care, and other pet wellness topics.

Hemopet/Pet Life-Line’s technical excellence and humane philosophy shape its goals. Help this charitable organization fulfill them by taking a break from the Sunday funnies and walking your dog alongside other pet owners who support this admirable cause. –Dalia Van Den Boogaard

Registration: Oct. 14, 8:30 a.m. Walk: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Meet at Huntington Central Park, Central Park West, 6622 Lakeview Drive, Huntington Beach (Huntington Lake at Central Park Drive near Edwards St.). Participants must be 16 or over. Cost: $25 registration/donation per dog; $5 discount for rescued greyhounds. Cost includes BBQ lunch and prizes. Additional lunches available for purchase. The first 200 applicants to pre-register will receive a free T-shirt and free dog bandanna. For more information about the dog walk or about providing a loving home for a retired greyhound, call (714) 891-2022, ext. 15, or visit Hemopet at 11330 Markon Drive, Garden Grove, or at www.hemopet.org.

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