Blue Cross ‘Bark in the Park’ dog walk raised almost €5,000
By Brendan Grehan
DESPITE the wind and rain, hundreds of dog owners and their pets took part in The Irish Blue Cross Bark in the Park sponsored dog walk in the Phoenix Park on Sunday, July 29 last.
Funds raised will help the thousands of sick and injured pets the charity cares for each year. They managed to raise almost €5,000.
Veterinary Nurse Christina Reilly of The Irish Blue Cross
Despite the rain, supporters of the charity enjoyed a good walk and fun dog competitions to find the dog with the Happiest Smile, Waggiest Tail, Best Bark, Best Overall Dog and the easiest category of the day – Dog with the Shiniest Coat.
There were also training classes, a dog-agility course, children’s play area and a bumper raffle to entertain everyone.
The sun came out just in time for the start of the walk, the ‘bark-off’, with participants following a special paw-printed route along Acres Road cycle track.
Alison Kelly from The Irish Blue Cross told The Echo: “We were delighted to see such a great turnout, with lots of people well prepared with their rain-gear!
“It’s been such a mixed bag of weather for the past number of weeks – we had to postpone one of our Bark events in July given the heatwave, then today we’re almost washed out!
“Thankfully, the sun made a welcome appearance just before we started our walk and shone for the rest of the afternoon, which was super.”
Tremendous difference
Ms Kelly added: “We’re very grateful to all our supporters and friends for helping us raise just under €5,000 today.
“This money will make a tremendous difference and will help us to continue providing affordable veterinary care to the thousands of pet families who rely on our support. Hosting these events is also a fantastic opportunity for us to raise awareness of our services.”
The Irish Blue Cross hope to raise more than €25,000 from their five Bark events this summer. Online registrations are still open for the Bark in the Parks in Tymon Park North, Tallaght on Sunday August 19 and Ardgillan Castle, Balbriggan on Sunday September 2.
For full details, log on to www.barkinthepark.ie
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