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Do the Mighty Texas Dog Walk
Sure, you’ve done lots of foot races around town — and you’ve got the finishers’ medals to prove it. But what about your dog?
He can earn his own gold medal at the 11th Annual Mighty Texas Dog Walk, a 3-mile non-competitive stroll scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday, April 11 starting at the Ann Richards Congress Avenue Bridge. There will be six water stops for humans and canines along the way.
But there’s another goal — to win back the Guinness World Record for largest dog walk, currently held by England with 10,272 four-footed friends. We can beat that!
Taking your dog for a walk, by the way, is an easy way to grab some exercise. It gets you (and your pup) outside, burns some calories, stretches those muscles and has an overall pleasant effect on your health.
Just ask Sheri Soltes, founder and president of Texas Hearing & Service Dogs.
“I got started exercising for real at 35 by just walking my dog. It got both of us out of the house and I felt much less stressed after a 30-minute walk looking at the neighbors’ gardens,” Soltes says.
Those quick jaunts progressed to walking — and eventually running — excursions to Lady Bird Lake, Soltes says.
“I hit 50 in May and still wear college size clothes and enjoy excellent health. Plus, my border collie gets her jets burned five times a week and I haven’t strangled anyone in years,” she says.
See what I mean?
Registration is $25 per dog in advance or $30 the day of the event. Sign up online until 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 7, at www.servicedogs.org, or in person from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, April 8-10, at Petco, 9828 Great Hills Trail. Packet pickup is April 8-10 at Petco or at the registration tent on walk day.
Proceeds benefit Texas Hearing & Service Dogs, in its 21st year of training adopted shelter dogs as working partners for disabled Texans free of charge.
Does your dog like to exercise with you? Tell me about it!
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Comments
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By Sheri Soltes
April 5, 2009 6:54 PM | Link to this
This last illustration this year’s collector’s T-shirt designed by Austin artist Mauro Garza.
Every dog walker gets one!
By ht
April 6, 2009 10:04 AM | Link to this
I sure hope it is better organized than last year! The organizers didn’t allow enough water stops for the dogs (or people) and we had to contend with runners using the same course, which caused the walk to start later in the day.
I saw lots of overheated dogs at the event last year, and I won’t put my dog’s health at risk with another poorly organized event.
Too bad they didn’t leave the event in South Austin where it had been held for the last several years.
By Sheri Soltes
April 6, 2009 1:35 PM | Link to this
ht points out exactly the issues we vowed to repair as our top priority in 2009.
Here is how we’ve addressed them:
SEVEN (last year it was 3) water stops with
Last year, we combined with RunTex and some races they put on, thus our later start time. This year, we have returned to the way we did it for the first 9 years - all dogs, only dogs, dogs, dogs, dogs.
I am sure “something” will go wrong this year. But it will NOT be the water stops.
By Susan Baughman
April 9, 2009 10:05 AM | Link to this
I love this walk! My Shiva is not alive for this year’s walk, but I’ll go anyway to gaggle at the great looking dogs!
By samantha
February 20, 2011 7:20 PM | Link to this
When is the dog walk in 2011?
By Pam LeBlanc
February 21, 2011 5:41 PM | Link to this
Samantha, the 2011 Mighty Texas Dog Walk is scheduled for April 2. Go to http://bit.ly/f2Uug9 for details. Pam