There is no shortage of events for canines out there, so if you’re looking for a fun doggie-focused thing to do with your pup, you’re sure to find something. However, some dog-related events, like Strut Your Mutt, are a bit more well-known than others. What exactly is Strut Your Mutt?
Strut Your Mutt was a charity walk created and hosted by the Best Friends Animal Society that raised money to save the lives of shelter animals. It wasn’t only a walk, though; after the charity walk/Fun Run, a doggie-themed festival was held that included fun family activities, contests, prizes, food, and more! While the event originated in Salt Lake City with the Best Friends Animal Society, it eventually grew to be held in cities across the United States.
When Is the Next Strut Your Mutt?
According to a 2023 letter posted to the Best Friends Animal Society’s website by CEO Julie Castle, 2023’s Strut Your Mutt was a single event held in its original city.1 The blog said it was time to say goodbye to Strut Your Mutt, as fundraising methods had changed with the advancement of technology. So, it looks like, officially, Strut Your Mutt is over.
However, if you Google the term, you can still find events listed as Strut Your Mutt for various cities. These seem to be similar events that involve charity dog walks and sometimes fun to be had after, but whether they are official Strut Your Mutt events connected to the one originated by the Best Friends Animal Society is unclear.
Regardless, if you want to help raise money for animals in shelters, you can check online to see if your area is having a Strut Your Mutt event, Fun Run, or other kind of charity fundraiser.
How Can I Help Animals in Shelters?
There are so many ways you can help shelter animals, even if there isn’t a Strut Your Mutt or fundraising event in your area! Fundraisers are fantastic for shelters, and you can organize with your local shelter to hold one of your own if you’d like, but there are many other ways to help unhomed animals.
Shelters typically need a lot of aid in many different areas, not only the financial area. If a shelter is crowded (and it often is), it could need more people to help walk the dogs so every pup gets enough exercise. It could also need more people to play with the kittens to help them become socialized. Shelters might also need people with vehicles willing to help them transport animals that need to go to the vet or a different shelter.
Your local shelter would probably also benefit from the community knowing more about them and the animals living there, so raising awareness for a shelter can help immensely. This could be as simple as talking with your friends or making posts on social media. If you have photography skills, you could also help a shelter by taking photos of all the adorable animals up for adoption so they can post them on their social media pages. After all, no one can resist cute animal pictures! And if you have any other valuable skills, like web design or social media marketing, you might see if your local shelter would benefit from those.
While fundraisers are wonderful for raising money to allow a shelter to get the things it needs, if a fundraiser can’t be held for some reason, you can simply ask the shelter what they’re lacking and then donate the supplies they need. Put together a basket of supplies yourself or go to friends and family to gather what’s needed. Just don’t do this without talking to a shelter first, as they require specific items; this way, you’ll avoid getting them the wrong things!
So, many ways exist to help shelter animals, even without a fundraiser.
Final Thoughts
Strut Your Mutt was a charity walk and doggie-related festival created by the Best Friends Animal Society. However, as of 2023, the event is officially done. You can still find Strut Your Mutt being held in some cities, but whether they’re related to the original is unclear. That said, a fundraiser is a fundraiser, so if there’s one near you and you want to help out, join up!
If you can’t find a fundraiser for your local shelter and are unable to organize one of your own, there are plenty of other things you can do to help the shelter out. Whether it’s donating time, skills, or supplies, shelters often need many things. So, check with your local shelter to find out what they’re lacking!
Featured Image Credit: travelarium.ph, Shutterstock