On Sunday, June 4th, a group of DMCers and friends got together for the 17th Annual PAWS Chicago 5K Walk/Run along Lake Michigan at Montrose Beach. We were joined by tons of other local pet lovers.
The dog to human ratio was very close to 50/50, and the air was filled with the sounds of lots of happy yips, barks, and panting.
What is PAWS?
Nearly 9,000 cats and dogs are euthanized in Chicago each year because they don’t have a home, but PAWS Chicago finds homes for healthy and treatable pets.
Since PAWS was founded in 1997, the number of homeless animals euthanized per year in Chicago has dropped more than 80 percent.
In 2016, PAWS Chicago found homes for over 5,100 homeless pets, so all the walking was definitely worth it!
Why Walk with PAWS?
Due to the generous donations of the PAWS 5k Walk/Run sponsors, 100% of the money raised at the PAWS 5K goes to, “helping PAWS Chicago provide vital medical care, food, and shelter to thousands of homeless pets this year.”
This is fantastic since PAWS receives no government funding and relies solely on the support of animal lovers to help take care of Chicago's homeless animals.
“I think this is an awesome opportunity to support a local no-kill shelter!” said Heather Talbert, who helped organize DMC's participation.
There were tons of free dog treats and toys as well as snacks that we stocked up on before setting off on our walk. A few of us even spun a raffle wheel and won tickets to a Chicago White Sox game!
DMC Donation Matching
As DMC continues to be one of Chicago's Best Places to Work, we are always looking for ways grow and improve. Last year, we held a fun day of charitable giving called DMC Cares. We recently announced a new charitable match program, and the PAWS 5K was the first time it was put into action!
The DMC matching gift program is part of DMC's continuing efforts to support qualifying non-profit organizations that benefit the communities in which DMC employees live and work.
Check out other fun events that are going on at DMC.