Before the annual Furry Tails Foot Race got underway in Derby Reach Regional Park Sunday, Tanya Amanuel was explaining why she and friend Karen Roberts were wearing T-shirts with photos of a dog named Lokee.
“He was a sweet boy,” Amanuel said. “He was a pure-bred mutt, a rescue dog from Mexico, Cabo San Lucas.”
When Lokee (2016 – 2019) unexpectedly died of a cardiac arrest, Amanuel decided to honour his memory by registering for the annual Furry Tails Foot Race.
Amanuel and Roberts walked with their dogs, Tia, who was Lokee’s sibling and also a rescue, and Lokee’s best buddy, Korby.
Like the women, both dogs also wore memorial shirts.
They were among the 130 people who registered for the annual 5K and 10K fun run and walk through the park’s trails to raise money for the Langley Animal Protection Society (LAPS). a a registered non-profit society that took over animal control in 2003, after the contract between the Township of Langley and the SPCA expired
The race was expected to raise about $10,000 for the cause, money that helps the stray, lost, and abandoned dogs and cats being cared for at Patti Dale Animal Shelter in Aldergrove, explained LAPS executive director Jayne Nelson.
“This is one of our biggest fundraisers of the year,” she added.
At the moment, Nelson said the shelter is experiencing an influx of cats. Last week alone, 17 kittens and five nursing mother cats arrived.
“It’s kitten season,” Nelson said with a smile, adding that dogs were available for adoption, too.
This year, thanks to sponsor Robles Real Estate, registered participants in the Furry Tail Run had souvenir T-shirts for the first time.
READ ALSO: VIDEO: Record participation at Fort Langley’s Furry Tails Foot Race
READ ALSO: VIDEO: Surprises help push Langley shelter’s fundraiser over the $150K mark
And coming off the success of another foot race, Nelson explained that LAPS is already planning for its next Furry Tail Endings Gala, the 12th annual edition that is set for Nov. 2.
At last fall’s gala, more than $152,000 was raised – that was up $15,000 compared to the previous year.
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Email: dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
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