The 5K One Dog Jog took place at 7am on Sunday amid chilly temperatures in the mid-70’s and a light drizzle at the start.
The fundraiser for the One Dog at a Time charity attracted a smaller crowd than usual at Safehaven. Nine dogs from the charity were able to take part in the event, but quite a few residents showed up with their dogs to make the loop down to the Holiday Inn.
Jasper, an English setter, who was rescued from a farm on an Island in Greece, was the first dog to cross the finish line with his owner, Jacqui. In second place was Duke, a West Bay bush dog, who was adopted from the Humane Society three years ago.
Looking back at 2024, One Dog at a Time rescued 283 dogs, including 83 that were likely going to be euthanized at the Department of Agriculture dog pound. They also brought in 52 stray dogs, and an additional 136 dogs were dropped off at the charity by previous owners.
The charity currently has about 64 dogs on island looking for new homes. Over the course of the year, 140 dogs were transferred to rescue partners in the U.S. and Canada, and 19 adoptions are currently pending.
There were no prizes for the winners at the 5K jog, but there was a raffle and lots of dog treats handed out by Paula Whythe the founder of One Dog at a Time and CJ Johnson, the president of the charity.
“If anyone wants to donate bags of kibble or make an online donation so we can buy food, we would really appreciate that,” explained Johnson. “We just launched our ‘food fairies’ campaign, because we are going through six large bags of adult dog kibble per week and two large bags for the puppies, so it is quite a lot.”
They are always looking for volunteers to foster dogs and act as flight escorts to Tampa on Cayman Airways, Johnson explained.
Anyone who wants to donate, volunteer or adopt a dog can reach the charity by phone on 917-8284; by email at [email protected]; or by visiting their website, www.odaat.ky
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