WEST KENNEBUNK, Maine – August 24, 2009 – Strut Your Mutt, now in its 15th year, is the single largest fundraiser for the Animal Welfare Society. This year’s event will be held on Sunday, September 13th at 11 am on Mother’s Beach in Kennebunk. The event covers a two-mile walk along the beach, and is attended by more than 250 people and their four-footed companions. Walkers are encouraged to collect pledges from friends, family and co-workers.

Again underwritten by Morris Insurance Services, the event raises much needed funds for the shelter’s animal medical care budget, known as the Sadie Fund.

The Fund, named for a Shih Tzu surrendered to the shelter with too many medical problems to list, is a symbol of the more than $100,000 spent each year on treating ill, injured and aged animals at the Animal Welfare Society.

“Some medical ailments seem so simple – a urinary tract infection or an upper respiratory infection – and yet, the treatment can be quite expensive. Without this fund, we wouldn’t be able to get these animals on the road to recovery so quickly,” said Jocelyn Layman, senior animal technician at the shelter. “Other medical ailments, like broken bones or heartworm treatment cost even more. The Sadie Fund literally means a second chance for so many animals.”

Other headlining sponsors of this year’s event include: The Colony Hotel, Kennebunkport; Harbor Consulting IP Services, Portsmouth; Maine Veterinary Referral Center, Scarborough; H.M. Payson & Co., Portland; and the Planet Dog Company Store, Portland.

For more information, or to get involved, visit the Animal Welfare Society’s web site at www.animalwelfaresociety.org. Walkers can even create their own fundraising web pages. Registration fees are $15 for individuals and $45 for teams. Can’t make the event? You can still make a donation to the shelter’s Sadie Fund by calling 207-985-3244 x123.

About The Animal Welfare Society

The Animal Welfare Society exists to provide humane shelter and care to animals temporarily in need of housing, and to further the cause of responsible animal adoption and ownership through education and public awareness. The society actively promotes kindness, the elimination of cruelty and neglect to all animals, and the lifelong commitment of people to their pets. For more information please visit www.animalwelfaresociety.org.