Every year, the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation hosts the Furry 5K, a Fun Run (or walk!) which benefits the Seattle Animal Shelter, supporting pets in need. And for the 5th year in a row, Mud Bay was the Furry 5K presenting sponsor.
Teddy, a local Seattle customer, browses Mud Bay treats.
On June 10, Mud Bay kindly hosted early packet pickup at their Greenwood location. The early packet pickup helped just over 300 participants get their goodies and gear before the race, making sure our human and dog runners were ready to go. And Furry 5K pup-ticipants could enjoy a sweet treat at the early packet pickup.
On the day of the race, Mud Bay was everywhere! As presenting sponsor, Mud Bay’s tent was front and center at the end of the race, handing out treats and goodies for finishers. Their logo also graced the bibs, backs of our teal t-shirts, and hot pink bandanas rocked by people and pets alike.
Finally, we’d like to thank Mud Bay for generously donating an additional dollar for every mile walked or run: a total of over $4,100 this year! Many thanks to Mud Bay and all of our participants and volunteers, from two to four legs.
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:
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!
On June 11, Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation (SASF) is holding the 24th annual Furry 5K at Seward Park. A chance to get outside, gather with our furry family members, and support animals in need. What’s more, 100% of funds raised on this fun day go to the Help the Animals Fund at the Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS).
Every fall, SASF hosts an auction and gala called Furevermore to raise funds for SAS. Last fall, Heather and Pete made a generous donation to win the Face of Furry 5K for their dog, Ezzie. We had a chat with the two about their history with animal welfare and how Ezzie brought new energy and joy to their day-to-day lives.
OUR CONVERSATION WITH HEATHER AND PETE
SASF: LET’S START WITH THE MOST IMPORTANT PART… CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT EZZIE?
Heather: We got Ezzie in 2021 at a rescue in Eastern Washington, because he fit exactly what we were looking for and there are so many dogs over there needing adoption. Someone found him on the side of the road with an eye hanging out. Our last dog had both eyes removed so when I saw Ezzie with just one eye, that caught my attention. He has some stranger danger but once he gets to know you, he is the sweetest, most empathetic little guy.
WHY WERE YOU INTERESTED IN HAVING YOUR DOG BE THE FACE OF THE FURRY 5K?
Pete: I’m on the Board of the Seattle Humane Society, we’re long-time supporters of the Seattle Animal Shelter, and we’ve been going to Furevermore for many years. Heather was also involved in the very first auctions for a number of years. We loved the idea of giving Ezzie a platform to show that one-eyed stray dogs can be amazing dogs.
HOW DOES EZZIE AFFECT YOUR LIFE? HOW IS HE A PART OF YOUR DAY-TO-DAY?
Heather: In the morning he likes to climb on me and we’ll have a little chat. He gets me to walk every day, we play ball, and he’s next to me all work day long. He always wants to be with us, and he’s a great traveler, he goes with us down to Palm Springs.
Pete: He wants to be part of our lives and we want to be part of his. He’s very joyful, very athletic, and he has this way of running that is purely for fun. He doesn’t care about how fast he is, he just wants to have fun.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY WITH EZZIE SO FAR?
Pete: Our first two dogs were older and quieter dogs, and the first day we brought Ezzie home, he was about a year and a half old, he went puppy crazy and played in our backyard for hours. But of course, he was nervous being in a new situation. So first day was wild and new. We were worried about what we got ourselves into, but it’s all been awesome. He sat on the console the whole ride home, so he was comfortable with us from the get-go.
Heather: He also has this ball he likes to play soccer with. He pushes it around with his front paws, then he jumps over it to stop it, and then pushes it back with his head.
OKAY, LAST QUESTION. IF SOMEONE WAS INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN THE FURRY 5K THIS SUMMER, WHAT IS ONE THING YOU’D TELL THEM?
Heather: It’s an amazing way to support animal welfare and any support goes a long way!
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.
And if you’d like to see your pet be the Face of Furry 5K at a future event, stay tuned for more news about the Furevermore Auction & Gala this October.
