2021 Chase Away 5K

Register now for a fun day with your pooch on September 26. The Chase Away 5K is kicking off Wag It Forward again this year at the Champlain Valley Fairgrounds. Options include a 5K Fun Run or a 5K Fun Walk. Friendly leashed dogs are welcome. There’s even a Virtual Chase for those not in the area or for anyone wanting to avoid crowds. 

The registration fee is $25, but it increases to $40 after September 23. As always, the registration fee is a donation to Chase Away K9 Cancer. And 100 percent of the donations to Chase Away K9 Cancer will fund awareness and research for canine cancer. 

For more information, go to runsignup.com/Race/VT/Essex/ChaseAway5K. 

Don’t miss this great event in Middlebury on Saturday, September 11. Bring your well-behaved best friend for a great day of fun and fundraising. Registration is at 10:30am at the Memorial Sports Center, and the one-mile walk begins at 11:30. Music and awards are scheduled for 12 noon. Registration fees are as follows: Adults $20, youth $10, and children 5 and under are free. Proceeds benefit Homeward Bound, Addison County's Humane Society. 

Anyone who raises more than $50 will receive a Woofstock 2021 t-shirt, and participating dogs will receive a special bandana. To find out more, go to www.firstgiving.com/event/homewardboundanimals/Woofstock-2021. 

Watch Out for Wildlife 

Fall is a beautiful season to go for walks in the woods, and your canine pal loves to go too. According to Whitney Durivage at BEVS (Burlington Emergency & Veterinary Specialists) in Williston, porcupines have been out in force all summer, and injuries to dogs from quills have increased. These 15- to 35-pound rodents don’t shoot out their quills as people often believe, but they do use them in two ways for self-defense, according to preventivevet.com. First, they use their tail like a club and swing it, so the barbed end of the quill becomes attached to their attacker. Second, when they feel threatened, they raise quills up on their back. Since the quill ends are barbed, when they make contact with your dog, they quickly detach from the porcupine and attach deeply into your dog’s skin, causing immediate and severe pain. The removal of the quills is difficult and painful for your dog, so get him to your vet as soon as possible. DO NOT try to remove the quills yourself. 

Besides porcupines, wooded areas are also home to skunks, rabbits, opossums, foxes, and even bears. Your best course of action is to always keep your pet on a leash, and don’t let him roam at dawn or dusk.  

DID YOU KNOW? 

Making noise while walking in the woods lets wildlife know you’re there.