Last Saturday ( May 3 ) started out as a beautiful, sunny, spring day. Then I left the house. The dogs and I headed over to pick up our friend Kathy and head down to Montrose Beach for the 14th Annual Bark in the Park. Our wild spring weather took an ugly, windy turn that my hair is still complaining about. But it was the day of the Bark in the Park, and our dachshund group had been looking forward to it for months, so my hair, my short dogs and I persevered. The Bark in the Park is a 3.2-mile fundraising walk to benefit The Anti-Cruelty Society ( ACS ) . The ACS has been around since 1899 and, according to its mission statement, the organization 'exist [ s ] to prevent cruelty to animals and to advance humane education.'
Just since 1999 the ACS has found loving permanent homes for more than 40,000 pets, and has spayed or neutered more than 61,000 animals. They also offer many services, including an adoption program, a low-cost spay/neuter clinic, a rehabilitation and treatment center, a low-income clinic, humane education/community outreach, cruelty and abuse investigations and rescue, dog-training classes, a free behavior hotline and pet visitations. They are busy people and do great work.
