Paws in Motion 5K: May the 4th be with our furry friends

Get ready to lace up your running (or walking!) shoes on May 4th, 2024 for a day filled with fun, fitness, and furry friends! The Paws in Motion 5K is back and better than ever, bringing together animal lovers, advocates, and local businesses in support of a worthy cause and supporting two meaningful organizations, the Drew Pet Foundation and the Jefferson Protection & Animal Welfare Services (JPAWS). The event promises to make a significant impact on the lives of animals in our community and beyond by raising awareness and funding for local rescues throughout the greater New Orleans area.

This 5K comes at a critical point in addressing the homeless animal problem throughout New Orleans. Since the end of the pandemic, animal shelters have seen a massive surge in owners relinquishing their pets once shifting from a hybrid to in-person work model. Inflation prices make the financial responsibilities of caring for a pet even more challenging. Moreover, a subtropical city like New Orleans consistently faces storms and hurricanes that shut down shelters, displace pets, or render their owners unable to care for them. Monique Bonnaffons, the founder of Take Paws Rescue (another local animal shelter), expressed how shelters throughout New Orleans are “all stressed and stretched to the max”. It is up to us to support our communities and the organizations looking to serve the underprivileged and homeless, whether person or furry friend.

Homeless dog housed in one of the many animal shelters in New Orleans (Photo taken from Take Paws Facebook)

Founded by Sue Sampey and her husband after the heartbreaking loss of their adopted Pomeranian named Drew, The Drew Pet Foundation (a non-profit 501c3 organization staffed entirely by volunteers) is dedicated to aiding Senior Citizens in covering the costs associated with caring for their beloved pets. Too frequently, financial constraints compel seniors to relinquish their pets to local shelters, depriving them of vital companionship and joy. By offering support for food and medical needs, the Foundation aims to reduce the influx of pets into shelters and subsequently decrease the number of euthanasia procedures carried out each year. Under Sue’s compassionate leadership, the foundation provides essential resources such as food, care supplies, and funding for animal transportation and neutering services.

Spaying and neutering initiatives are one of the most important ways to regulate the homeless pet population. Sterilizing pets prevents the creation of unwanted litters, which frequently contribute to the problem of abandoned dogs or cats that organizations such as JPAWS and Drew Pet Foundation work against. An UNO documentary (found here) focuses on the St. Charles Animal Shelter, a local non-profit which provides free spaying and neutering services in an attempt to curb the pervasive issue and prevent other shelters from becoming further overwhelmed by the extent of the homeless pet problem in New Orleans. When a shelter has too many dogs, each animal cannot receive the attention, care, and support they need from staff, and this can have detrimental effects on their mental and physical health. As a result, these shelters are often forced to euthanize their animals. The interplay between various charities and organizations looking to better the community highlights the importance of this issue and the meaningful impact that your participation in the Paws in Motion 5K will have, not just on the lives of animals but also on the lives of those who volunteer and care for them.

Much like the Drew Pet Foundation, JPAWS is driven by a noble mission to elevate the community “through the practice of compassion by saving and protecting animals, providing care and treatment” and by using education and advocacy in order to “enhance the human-animal bond”. The Foundation shelters lost pets until they are found by their owners, facilitates adoption processes, and even quarantines animals that have been bitten by others. JPAWS also looks into complaints of animal abuse or neglect.

A quarantine section for cats in an animal shelter (Photo by Ciell, Wikimedia Commons)

One of the primary goals of this year’s Paws in Motion 5K is to fully finance a CBC Machine for JPAWS. Having a CBC machine would allow the shelter to conduct laboratory blood tests on-site within 5 minutes. Any extra money raised will help fund an upcoming promotional event for the Drew Pet Foundation. Most importantly, the impact of the Paws in Motion 5K extends far beyond just one day of fun and games. It’s part of a greater mission to build a community of like-minded individuals committed to making a difference. Whether you’re an avid runner, a slow walker, or just looking for a fun way to support a worthy cause, there really is something for everyone at this family-friendly event.

The Paws in Motion 5K will be hosted at Gretna City Hall (740 2nd Street, Gretna, LA). Registration kicks off bright and early at 8am. It costs $50 to register and participate in the event, which is committed to “making a significant impact on the lives of animals in our community” by bringing together animal lovers, advocates, and local businesses to support a meaningful and important cause. Your registration fee will go towards making a significant impact on the lives of animals in our community.

Registration will be followed by a series of special announcements and a group photo at 9:15am. At 9:30am, the 5K begins and the event gets rolling! The route takes participants from Huey P. Long Avenue towards the GNO Bridge for 1.55 miles, then makes a U-turn to return back down Huey P. Long Avenue towards the Finish Line. The early start time makes it easier to beat the summertime New Orleans heat and make it back to the event for the refreshments which will become available at 9:45am. After the workout concludes, the Paws in Motion event hosts an awards ceremony and raffle at 11am.

Your impact doesn’t stop once you cross the finish line. By participating in the race, you’ll be supporting two compassionate and impactful organizations in their missions to improve the community through saving and protecting animals, providing care and treatment, and enhancing the bonds between humans and animals. Your presence at the event will raise awareness while contributing to the lasting impact of efforts to address the homeless animal problem in New Orleans.

Your task is simple: register for the Paws in Motion 5K and be part of a community that is committed to making a difference. By participating in this family-friendly event, you’ll not only improve your own health but also contribute to a worthy cause. Your impact doesn’t stop there! By participating in the race, you’ll be supporting two compassionate and impactful organizations in their missions to improve the community through compassion, saving and protecting animals, providing care and treatment, and enhancing the human-animal bond. So mark your calendars and register for the Paws in Motion 5K. Don’t miss this opportunity to make a difference. Be part of the change!

Nuri Kara’s work in studying and analyzing digital engagement and Internet activism yielded interesting results for understanding how university students engage with the online world. Only 7.2% of respondents signaled that they “Strongly Agree” that they “use the Internet in order to participate in social movement/change or protest” (Kara, 177). Nonetheless, over 45% either agreed or strongly agreed that “online participation promotes offline engagement” (Kara, 178). The importance of using digital platforms to promote meaningful social change has never been more apparent, and the accessibility of information regarding JPAWS, the Drew Pet Foundation, the Paws in Motion 5K, and other like-minded organizations allows anyone with an internet connection to stay up-to-date, engage meaningfully with these organizations’ missions, and donate to their causes. Below are links to each of the organizations involved in the 5K and a link to the event’s online page.

Resources:

Paws in Motion 5K

Jefferson Protection & Animal Welfare Services (JPAWS)

The Drew Pet Foundation