What a fabulous day it turned out to be at our annual Weekend Witness 1000 Paws Walk on Sunday the 30th June! The sun shone down upon us as hundreds of loyal SPCA supporters and their gorgeous pooches joined in a day of beautiful walks and masses of fun!
The day began either a leisurely stroll of 2km around the sports fields of Hilton College or a brisk 4km walk through their lovely plantations which resulted in pink healthy cheeks from the two legged folk and smiling, panting pooches.
In the events arena, there was plenty of entertainment to keep the spectators enthralled. The doggie demos from Funda Nenja, Bruntville and the SAAF were phenomenal, the Belly Dancers and Modern Dancers were a colourful array of delight, the Caledonian Band wowed us, the Sky Divers took our breath away with the winner of the paper plate stakes, Janet Angus, walking away with a fantastic weekend away at Bellwood Cottages for 14 people. The Tug-O-War made us laugh and we enjoyed the kids all beating the adults! Not to mention the fantastic display of Vintage Cars and Harley Davidsons gleaming in the sunshine! Delicious food hit the spot as the sounds of the talented Charles Webster and his band, Undercover, filtered through the marquee.
Other highlights of the event were the rolling plastic balls, aptly named Groovy Balls, which saw kids and adults alike rolling across the field in the ball, seeing things from a totally different perspective! The popular Paws Challenge that was set up and run by the 1st Howick Scout Troop brought proud dog owners and their dogs together as they tackled the obstacles on the course. The winning duo was Jimmy Mallett and Jemma. Over 30 stallholders sold their wares to many people looking to get in early and avoid the Christmas rush.
The arena also accommodated the event that we hold very dear to our hearts, the SPCA Dog of the Year competition whereby all dogs that are adopted from SPCA are proudly shown off by their owners. The competition was stiff as each and every pooch had their own endearing qualities that made them all rather special. Finally a decision was reached and Biscuit Hancock was pleased as punch to be announced the winner of the competition. Equally happy for the win were Biscuit's family, Dale and Tiffany Hancock and their children, Tannit and Callum. Second place went to Liz Bull and Lucy Lieu and 3rd place was clinched by Bianca Horne and Lucy, all deserving winners without a doubt!
Huge congratulations must also go to the winner of the spectacular first prize in our 1000 Paws raffle, Lyn Zadi, who walked away with a week's holiday at the magnificent splendour of Alpine Heath in the heart of the Drakensberg. Second prize winner, Colleen Andrews, was also extremely thrilled to win a weekend break at Engeleni Lodge and a Granny Mouse lunch voucher.
The sponsorships we received (cash donations and prizes) were absolutely amazing, ranging from lovely pamper goodies, luxury hampers, spa treatments, dinner vouchers, bed and breakfast vouchers, hair styling vouchers, doggie duvets, flea treatment vouchers, canopy tour vouchers and much more! We remain eternally grateful to our donors who gave so generously and supported our cause with such gusto!
Saving the best for last, we want to thank every single SPCA supporter who shared in the day with us. The PMB SPCA, uMngeni SPCA and the Mooi River SPCA would not have had the successful day we had without YOUR support and we remain indebted and thankful to you all for being the fierce animal warriors you continue to be.
Article kindly supplied by uMgeni SPCA.
Photograph: Proud winner of the Best SPCA Dog Competition 2013, Biscuit, enjoying the day with his family (from left to right), Tannit, Callum and Tiffany Hancock