The 24th annual Furry 5K is in the books! The weather cooperated and was perfect for running, walking, strolling, and petting dogs. Over 1,300 amazing humans registered for the race and Seward Park was a sea of teal with the adorable face of Ezzie everywhere.
Tracy Taylor-Turner, Vice President of the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation, served once again as the event’s MC and knocked it out of the park. The Seattle Animal Shelter Director Esteban Rodriguez gave a heartfelt thanks to the participants as they gathered at the start line. Former Seahawk Walter Jones hyped the crowd up. Then, Mayor (and Seattle Animal Shelter fan) Bruce Harrell counted down the start of the race as the crowd of participants, both two- and four-legged, were raring and ready to run.
RACERS TO WATCH
There were plenty of speedy people and pups on hand, with some truly impressive finishing times.
The fastest runners in each category were:
Male:
- Michael Stewart (20:50)
- John O’Hearn (21:04) + Dog
- Taylor Kesler (21:18)
Female:
- Julie Vieselmeyer (20:51) + Dog
- Cleo Baernstein (20:57)
- Ran Huo (22:15)
Non-Binary:
- MJ Jenkins (23:13) + Dog
- Vyas Savanur (25:54)
- Katie Lyle-Beshai (30:33)
TOP FUNDRAISERS
In the weeks leading up to the Furry 5K Fun Run and Walk, individuals and teams worked diligently to fundraise to great success! Through generous donations, they raised nearly $14,000. Commercial Industrial Ruffing was the top fundraising team, raising over $1,000. The top fundraising doggo Hector (and his human Frank Massaro!) was presented a medal at the Pet-a-Palooza celebration.
BY THE NUMBERS
Over 4,100 miles walked or run
Over 30 vendors and sponsors
587 Runners
737 Walkers
Countless dogs!
And perhaps most importantly of all:
$118,949 raised to help the animals of Seattle!
THANK YOU TO ALL INVOLVED
None of this would have been possible without the support of donors, volunteers, sponsors, and vendors.
The Furry 5K has always been run by volunteers dedicated to raising funds to cover the Seattle Animal Shelter’s veterinary needs. This year’s race was put on by more than 100 volunteers – the glue of this beloved event! Whether you ran, walked, donated, led a team, shared a post on social media, or anything in between — thank you. Your support helps the Seattle Animal Shelter keep doing amazing work.
It takes a village to put on a race like the Furry 5K, and a huge part of that community are our sponsors. These sponsors provide the shelter with invaluable resources to create a fun, impactful event that truly matters to the animals in need of the care that the shelter provides. Thank you to:
- Mud Bay
- BluePearl
- Seattle Veterinary Associates
- Nintendo
- Animal Medical Center of Seattle
- Just Food For Dogs
- Duvall Veterinary Hospital
- FuzzYard
- Ahimsa Dog Training
- Metro Dog
- Tilted Barn Pet Co.
- Cara Veterinary
- Plato Pet Treats
- Alphamartial Arts
- Boss Dog
- Johnston Architects
- Portland Pet Food Company
- Pets Global
- All the Best Pet Care
- Shoen’s Pet Adventures
- Northwest Naturals
- Lake Union Escrow
- Fuzzy Buddy’s Dog Daycare
- Sound Veterinary Rehabilitation Care
- F45 Training
- Furfriends
- Emerald City Emergency Clinic
A special shout out to our presenting sponsor, Mud Bay, for also donating $1 for each mile ran at the Furry 5K, for a total of $4,108!
Please join us at our Furevermore Auction & Gala on October 21st at Fremont Studios for a night full of fun and love for our community’s animals. Tickets are on sale now!
Check out more event day photos in our 2023 Furry 5K photo album.
See highlights of Tracy’s takeover of the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation’s Instagram on Furry 5K day here.