The 9th Annual Sweat-4-Pets 5k, 10k Run and 1 Mile Fun Walk benefitting OpSpot (Operation Stop Pet Overpopulation Today--opspot.org) takes place one month from today! It's fun, it's healthy--and better yet, you are helping a very worthy cause. Why is this event so important to me? First of all, last year over 27,000 unwanted dogs and cats were euthanized in the St. Louis area--nationally, the number runs close to 5 million. That alone is enough reason to want to help with spaying and neutering. Nine years ago I brought the idea of this fundraiser to the president and director of OpSpot (my dear friend Lizzie) and shared that I thought a run and walk for dogs and people has potential to raise both awareness and money for spaying and neutering--and runners are some of the most generous people in our community! She loved the idea, we got some amazing help financially from OpSpot supporters and were able to purchase our first batch of t-shirts and reserve the park space, get snacks, and folks chipped in to bring raffle baskets--we wanted our run to be a bit more special. Our first few years provided us with plenty of "learning" moments.
Here we are nine years later! Without the help of the OpSpot volunteers and animal lovers, this would have never lasted as long--we are great group of people! It is so exciting, I can hardly wait for this year's event! As the event founder and director, it is a privilege to work for a cause that truly makes a difference in people's lives. OpSpot has spayed and neutered over 21,000 family pets to date! In September it spayed 1,100 pets during their TenSpot Fix--where families needing assistance with the costs can take their pets to one of our participating vets and have their pet spayed for $10 each. Thus, the need for a fundraiser like Sweat-4-Pets!
OpSpot does so much more--here is list of some of their programs:
- 909-VETS: a low cost referral service helping people access local participating vets providing affordable surgeries.
- Nickel Neuter: Twice annually 2002-2004, these two-day events utilized participating vet clinics and through donations to OpSpot, neutered 5528 male cats.
- Love Your Pit: A special spay/neuter event for special dogs. Starting from a an initial gifts from the Animals Farm Foundations, we paid for surgeries at 13 local animal clinics--303 pit bull mixes were spayed or neutered.
- Hope for The Animals Day: Held each year in August in Tower Grove Park, provides $10 vax, $10 microchips and other health services.
- Free Straw to Warm Paws: Each fall we provide free straw and doghouses to improve conditions for dogs who must live outside. Public education is a part of this program.
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