When dogs run for a cause

The weekend dog park at Cubbon Park was a beehive of activities early on Sunday with different breeds of dogs running around excitedly, as their parents engaged in conversations about their pets.

The occasion was Pet-A-Thon, the annual event organised by the Rotary Bangalore IT Corridor (RBITC). More than 100 dogs assembled at the venue for this year’s edition of the event.

RBITC organises the event to create awareness and generate funds for animal welfare. The event, which had the theme ‘adopt, don’t shop’ is also a forerunner to the upcoming Phonepe Midnight Marathon, scheduled to be held on December 10, at KTPO, Whitefield.

While one dog ran at its top speed, the others chased to mark their part in the assumed competition. Retrievers outnumbered the other breeds, including Shih Tzus, Boxers, Huskies, Labradors, German Shepherds, Rottweilers and Beagles.

Dr Seemanthini Desai, president, RBITC, said the organisation would use funds raised from the Midnight Marathon on projects in the sectors of health, education and environment.

Speaking with DH, Dr Desai said RBITC raises up to Rs 1.5 crore every year through the marathon. “Over 15 years, we have raised more than Rs 25 crore. We have adopted seven government higher primary schools near Mahadevapura,” she said.

Priya Chetty-Rajagopal, trustee, CJ Memorial Trust, urged dog owners to tag their pets with the pets’ names and the parents’ contact numbers to ensure easier retrieval of missing pets.

It is extremely important for organisations like Rotary to promote adoption of Indie dogs and responsible parenting, she said.

The stories shared by the Indie dog adopters were a big draw at the show. Rescuers appealed to the people to contact them for adopting the rescued pets. The event also featured talks about pet security and pet health.