Organizing A Charity Dog Walk

Topic: Dog Walks Etc

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As a relatively recent addition to the various types of charity fund raising events, charity dog walks have become very popular in many different cities, parks, beaches and country areas around the world. Charity dog walks are popular because they incorporate two things that most people love, being outdoors and spending time with their pets and other dogs and people.

Organizing a charity dog walk does take a bit of time and effort, but you may be surprised at how quickly the dog loving community gets behind this type of event. Although you don't need permission of a particular charity, it is always a good idea to approach the charity or organization you are planning on having benefit from the dog walk and get their permission. This will also provide you another source of advertising and help to get all the different components of the walk together.

Picking the date for the event is going to be an important first step. If you work with the charity you may be able to pick a day that has special meaning for the group or organization, or one that ties in with national or international dates of importance for the group. For example, April is Child Abuse Prevention Month in the United States, but it is held in November in Canada. There are other dates that are International such as it may be important to the charity to have it in a specific month, or a day or a week to coordinate with other events happening around the country or the world.

After you have selected a date, you then have to find a place to host the dog walk. You will need a staging or starting area where guests can speak to start off the walk as well as an ending place where people can gather and rest after completing the walk. A large park with a field area or a covered field house may be just the spot. If you are using a public park rather than a private facility you will need to check with the public parks department or the city manager and book the park well in advance. This can be particularly difficult if you are trying to book a park over the summer months or the autumn if it is used for sporting events and other types of group activities. Since most charity dog walks are going to be held on the weekend, it is going to be more difficult to book large and popular public parks to hold the event.

In most cases you will be required to complete an application to rent the park or area as well as to hold a public gathering. These permits often take weeks to process so it is advisable that you start the process several months in advance of when you want to hold the event. Until the permits are completed and approved you cannot start advertising or promoting the event in case there is a change in venue or location.

In a urban park or area there are going to be several considerations for parking and managing a large number of vehicles, kids and of course dogs and people. Adequate parking, restroom facilities and handicapped accessible walkways and transportation to the park have to be provided and should be considered when you are choosing the location.

Many charity dog walks provide snacks and beverages for all participants, plus they also have speakers or entertainment at the starting point as well as at the end of the walk. Typically larger companies or organizations will donate supplies such as bottled water, packaged snacks, candies, doggy treats or even boxed lunches or buffet style food options. Finding corporate donors may be challenging if you don't start early and if you don't have the backing of the charity. Corporations may also provide banners, drink stations along the walk or even t-shirts for participants and their bandanas or other types of objects for dogs to wear and display on the walk.

It will be important to have emergency assistance on call, both for dogs as well as people. Sometimes a vet clinic will volunteer a vet or vet technician to be on site, and often individuals trained in first aid for people will agree to be on site. Providing spotters, either from your organization or the charity along the way is important to provide assistance or call for help along the route.

Advertising for your event may be relatively simple through the community section of your local newspaper, through networking with your charity group as well as from corporate dollars donated to the event. You may also wish to consider posting information or sending emails to various breed clubs, dog associations, groomers, vets and trainers in your area. Most of these professionals and organizations will be very interested in promoting your charity event as well as promoting their own business or group at the same time.

As a real benefit to your charity dog walk you may wish to approach some local stars or celebrities to see if they would be willing to bring their dog out for the walk. You may need to do some research to find out celebrities that are willing to help out with your charity event or those that are sympathetic or active within the charity you are supporting. The charity itself may be able to help out with a list of celebrities and stars that you could then approach for help and support.

Finally it is important to come up with a list of rules for participants. You may need to restrict the type of dogs or have clear expectations as to the breeds that may not be appropriate for the walk. Some walks require that all owners bring proof of vaccination before the dogs can participate. You may also wish to have all participants sign a waiver saying that they will take responsibility for their dog's behavior and that the charity or the organizers are not responsible for injuries to dogs or owners on the walk. An attorney or event planner can assist you with what waivers or releases you may need to have.

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