PAWsome Pups RUN GREAT and Donate
Helen Woodward Animal Center’s 9th Annual Puppy Love 5K Raises Over $72,000 to Support Pets and Animal-Focused Programs! 
(Honorary Grand Marshal Maverick and his dad Mike Kuypers lead the pack)
Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. (Mar. 22, 2018) – Last Sunday, Helen Woodward Animal Center’s 9th Annual Puppy Love 5K, presented by Blue Buffalo and with support from Petco Foundation, returned to the EmBARKadero to help raise funds for orphan pets. The spectacular event featured a timed 5K and un-timed walking 5K, an adorable canine costume contest, as well as food and interactive booths, all for the benefit of the pets and programs at the Center. This time, however, some very special honorary grand marshals led the pack, making the fundraiser even more poignant. Three adopted Hurricane Harvey rescues, Maverick, Murphy, and Shadow, joined the race in hopes of bringing more Houston-based orphans to Helen Woodward Animal Center. The resulting $72,000 raised comes right in time, as another group of Houston pups prepares to make the trip to sunnier skies at the end of this month.
Helen Woodward Animal Center’s fundraisers help to support its 13 unique programs dedicated to the mission of “people helping animals, animals helping people.” Many of these programs have national and international reach. The recent Center arrival of 38 Houston puppies, which followed the initial September 2017 arrival of 64 Houston orphan pets stranded in Hurricane Harvey’s wake, made news. It also highlighted the Center’s continuing efforts to alleviate the growing orphan pet problem exacerbated by the enormous amount of destruction caused by the storm and the resulting slow-going and long-ranging efforts to rebuild.
The funds raised by animal-lovers, teams, sponsors, and even elementary school classes, at last weekend’s Puppy Love 5K will go towards all of Helen Woodward Animal Center’s programs and will assist in bringing more Houston orphan pets out west. In fact, another arrival from Houston-based Operations Pets Alive, is scheduled for Friday, March 30th. (More info to follow!)
This year’s Annual Puppy Love 5K saw more teams registered than ever before and more individual fundraisers, as well. Leading the team fundraisers was Foley Four Paws – Foley and Lardner LLP. The law firm, which has been a longtime supporter of Helen Woodward Animal Center, providing invaluable in-kind legal services among other support, raised $1,025 including an impressive contribution from the fundraising efforts of Hannah Nicholson (the 5-year old granddaughter to one of the employees) of $709.
“This event is always full of love and full of families, human and canine alike,” stated Helen Woodward Animal Center VP of Development. “This year was extra special because we had the opportunity to see the happy endings of some of our Hurricane Harvey rescues. It reminded us that these events are not only fun, they truly save lives.”
For more information on the Puppy Love 5K visit www.animalcenter.org or call 858-756-4117. You may also stop by Helen Woodward Animal Center at 6461 El Apajo Road, Rancho Santa Fe in Rancho Santa Fe.
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About Helen Woodward Animal Center
Helen Woodward Animal Center is a private, non-profit organization where “people help animals and animals help people.” Founded in 1972 in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., the Center provides services for more than 57,000 people and thousands of animals annually through adoptions, educational and therapeutic programs both onsite and throughout the community. Helen Woodward Animal Center is also the creator of the International Home 4 the Holidays pet adoption drive, the International Remember Me Thursday® campaign and The Business of Saving Lives Workshops, teaching the business of saving lives to animal welfare leaders from around the world. For more information, go to: www.animalcenter.org.