HOULTON, Maine — Dog lovers will have an opportunity to “Strut Your Mutt” on Saturday, Oct. 20, in downtown Houlton.
Registration for the walk begins at 9 a.m. at the Hollywood Pet Salon, 70 Main St., with the walk commencing at 10 a.m. Participants will walk from downtown Houlton to the Ark Animal Sanctuary, located at 102 Old Woodstock Road.
The annual dog walk, which serves as a fundraiser for the Ark Animal Sanctuary, takes on a special significance this year as the event is being dedicated to Dr. Laurel Pinales, a local veterinarian who died in early October.
“She donated her time for the animals and truly helped us a lot,” said Lorraine Monfils, executive director of the Ark. “She also made it affordable for so many people to take their pets to a vet to get the care they needed.”
Monfils said she went “head-to-head” with Dr. Pinales on a number of occasions over the care certain animals needed.
“It was not until she moved away that I fully understood,” Monfils said. “She really did not make any money. She just wanted people to have affordable vet care. It was not a business for her, it was more of her helping the animals.”
Dr. Pinales often told Monfils that she could not save every animal, but that never stopped the two from trying. Monfils said she fondly remembers calling her about a cat that had suffered severe facial lacerations.
“She stitched the cat back up without hesitation,” she said. “She was just that kind of person. She was very compassionate. It was never about money with her.”
When Dr. Pinales retired from the Houlton area, she donated much of the contents from her veterinary clinic to the Ark to be used in the organization’s new building. “We have a full surgery suite thanks to her,” Monfils said. “We just need to find a veterinarian willing to come up.”
Monfils encouraged those who are not able to attend the event to send cards with their fondest memories of Dr. Pinales so they can be shared during the “Blessing of the Animals” ceremony at 1 p.m.
In addition to the dog walk, an open house will be held at the Ark Animal Sanctuary from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a children’s party starting at noon. Live music, a bake sale and cookout, silent auction and children’s costume party are among the planned activities.
For more information, call Monfils at 532-7387.
