This year’s Furry 5K is just around the corner. On June 12, hundreds of King County animal lovers will gather at Seward Park alongside their four-legged companions to walk or run in the name of helping pets. A good event needs a good ambassador, or maybe even two. This year’s face(s) of the Furry 5K are Lemon and Walter: two very good dogs.
How did these two pups become such an important part of this race? Each fall, the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation (SASF) hosts an auction and gala to raise funds for the Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS). While the pandemic caused a few changes in plans over the last two years, it did not stop Lemon and Walter’s owner, Chris Priest, from making a generous donation to secure his pups as the Face of the Furry 5K. We had the privilege of sitting down with Chris to learn more about his beloved dogs, his history with the Furry 5K, and who is really in charge of their household.
Our conversation with Chris
SASF: First thing’s first… – Can you tell us a little bit about Walter and Lemon?
Chris: Lemon is a border collie/terrier mutt we adopted from a shelter in Sun Valley, Idaho. We had lost a wonder dog (Daisy Mae, who was from the Seattle Animal Shelter), and there was something about adorable, crazy Lemon that reminded us of her.
Lemon is a gregarious herder who loves people (especially kids) and certain other dog pals. She is the fastest thing, crazy agile, and very smart. It’s hard for us to keep up with her quite often.
Little Walter is a little terrier mix who was found wandering the streets; some kids took him to a vet, and they cared for him for a month before relinquishing him to the shelter. We fell in love immediately, and so did Lemon. Walter is a smarty pants and the boss. He rules the roost, and Lemon loves him more than she might [love] us. They are the best of friends and bring us delight every day.
Why were you interested in having your dogs be the Face of the Furry 5K?
We love the Seattle Animal Shelter and the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation, and a highlight of our year is the annual auction. We’ve had our dogs on the side of buses (twice), in the calendar (three times), and all sorts of other prizes. It just made sense to do the Furry 5K — that, and Lemon is crazy fast. We wanted to support the Seattle Animal Shelter and do something fun and different!
How do Lemon and Walter affect your life? Do they help you maintain any sort of daily routines or bring a new appreciation to your daily activities?
Lemon and Walter ARE our daily lives. Besides work and food, everything we do centers around our pack. We go on lots of walks every day, go on runs, and play fetch and all sorts of games.
They have both gone to more training and more classes than either of their humans have. They love to be challenged and to play, so we spend a lot of time training, doing exercises, and having fun. We go down to Yelm a few times a month so Lemon can herd sheep and Walter can bark. They love it!
[Because we work] from home, they are very rarely alone. We have morning walks, afternoon walks, and night walks. We go to a lot of places that allow dogs, too, so they go out to eat with us or meet friends with us all the time.
These two make every day extra special. From crazy play episodes that take over the entire house to all the people in our neighborhood who greet them, every day is more fun and more interesting because of these two.
What are you looking forward to about this year’s Furry 5K?
Both Lemon and Walter love to go on runs. I used to run to and from work with Lemon, and her and I have participated in the Furry 5K three times. It’s such a fun, entertaining, and healthy event — we love to participate.
Lemon loves people, so I think her getting attention and being recognized as the Face of the Furry 5K will make her very happy. We plan to arrive early and take photos and do whatever helps the Foundation increase participation and the fun factor. Come meet Lemon and Walter!
Okay, last question. If someone was interested in potentially participating in the Furry 5K this summer, what is one thing you’d tell them?
It’s all about the animals. The work the Seattle Animal Shelter and Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation do for dogs, cats, critters, and friends is remarkable. This is a chance to run or walk, have a fun time, support each other, and raise money for the shelter. There are lots of teams, so there’s lots of support. It’s fun, and it is so important to show how much our community supports the animals!
How to join in on the fun
There’s still plenty of time to sign up for this June’s Furry 5K! Check out the Furry 5K website to learn more about participating.
If you’re interested in your pet being the Face of the Furry 5K at a future event, keep an eye out for the Furevermore Auction & Gala coming this October. Who knows – maybe your best friend will be the star of next year’s race!