Walk Around the Clock: Home for Life’s Doggone Early Dog Walk at the Mall of America
November 11th, 2009
Ben, a Home for Life dog who was blinded by abuse but now lives happily at the sanctuary.
By Meredeth Barzen
At 7 a.m. on Sunday, November 22, before shopping hours commence, the Mall of America will be taken over by hounds and their humans at the first annual Doggone Early Dog Walk, benefiting Home for Life Animal Sanctuary. Dog owners will be able to walk ’til they drop (or at least until they get to the refreshments table) to support the animals that Home for Life cares for and the community outreach programs it organizes.
Sponsored by yours truly and a host of other big names* in the Twin Cities dog world, the walk kicks off “The Art of the Dog,” Home for Life’s holiday display of dog statues and doghouses designed and adorned by local artists. For example, Jessie Marianiello of Stray Dog Arts will be creating a MoMDA—Museum of Modern Dog Art—doghouse, which will feature painted portraits of Marni Hughes’s and Keith Marler’s dogs from FOX 9 News. “This is a house for dogs with a refined sense of taste and an appreciation for art,” Marianiello says.
A decorated Art of the Dog statue from holidays past.
If you see a work of art that tickles your fancy, proceeds from the sale will benefit Home for Life. And given the talent that’s working on these pieces, chances are you will.
But back to the main event—walkers will be able to get Fido’s photo taken with Santa; enter contests for oldest, youngest, smallest, biggest, best-dressed and most owner-resembling dog and meet some of the Home for Life pooches and FOX 9 Morning News’ M.A. Rosko, the Grand Marshal of the dog walk.
M.A. Rosko with Munter, one of her two dogs.
Registration is $25 per four-legged accompanied by up to two two-leggeds. Each additional human is $25 and kids walk for free. Don’t miss this historic opportunity—this is the first-ever large-scale indoor dog walk—to support Home for Life, a truly compassionate organization that provides lifetime care to dogs and cats who have special needs and can’t find a traditional home.
You can build your own Doggone Early Dog Walk fundraising page here to e-mail others about the event and collect money for Home for Life. Or, if you’re just not an early bird and need to sleep in that Sunday, you can still support Home for Life by making a general donation here.
*In alphabetical order: Aloha Pet Care & Dog Training, Bark Busters, Bone Adventure, DoodyCalls, Fetch Delivers, Lena Swanson (animal communicator), MadDog Delivers, Pampered Pooch Playground, Personalized Pooch, Petcurean Pet Nutrition, Pets Are Inn, Sarah Beth Photography, Stray Dog Arts, and Stunt Puppy.
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November 22nd, 2009 at 5:07 pm
I’m wondering if anyone else was frustrated by the event today. We got to the mall at 7, planning to register at the event only to discover that there was a 100 dog limit and pre-registered attendees numbered upwards of 80. Had I known that was going to be the case we would have pre-registered. The event notice doesn’t indicate any restrictions like this. Just curious about what kind of feedback is coming out about the event and this situation because there were a number of people and dogs turned away…
December 11th, 2009 at 8:05 am
[...] month, the Mall of America was taken over by pooches and their people at the first annual “Doggone Early Dog Walk,” benefiting Home for Life Animal Sanctuary. The walk kicked off “The Art of the [...]