Thousands of animal lovers came out to Paws in the Park, a fundraising pet walk on Saturday morning at Lake Eola Park. The pooch-friendly event was the 16th annual walk for The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Central Florida.
Participants and their pets bundled up for the mile-long fundraising walk, which began by the amphitheater and circled around the lake. People registered as individuals or groups, playfully called packs, to raise money for the SPCA of Central Florida and homeless pets.
"We take in about 40,000 dogs and cats each and every year," said Fraily Rodriguez, Manager of Education of SPCA and the event master of ceremonies.
The SPCA of Central Florida houses and cares for domesticated pets who have been surrendered by owners and then places them up for adoption.
Dogs and the occasional cat came in all sizes, colors and breeds, and were dressed for the chilly weather in paisley bandanas, faux fur coats, and even a Superman costume.
Kristen Arias, a graduate student, came for the second year with her Boston terrier, Roxy. "It's just a good fundraiser, I think, and it's fun for them to meet other dogs and play around," she said. Besides giving back and getting extra exercise with Roxy, she came for the freebies.
Vendor booths gave away free samples of doggy treats and toys and raffled off a pet tree house for those who made donations. Animal-friendly stores and businesses advertised everything from pet portraits to pet spa getaways and retreats.
At the Dog Day Afternoon booth, employee Melissa Jomsky, a freshman event management major, came both to promote her job and to volunteer with the SPCA of Central Florida. "Since I work at a dog care, I wanted to see the flip side of it," she said. "You get to see the luxury dogs, and I wanted to see the dogs that don't have a home."
Jomsky said her favorite part was "seeing all the dogs with their parents and everyone being so excited with so much energy even though it's freezing."
As supporters and their pets socialized around the vendor booths after the walk, they were encouraged to gather back at the amphitheater for crowd participation games like "Name That Tune," and for the announcement of top fundraising and contest winners. Contests categories included best owner and pet lookalike and Valentine's Day-themed best Cupid dress up and best hugs and kisses.
While the exact figures have yet to be added up, Rodriguez said he thinks Paws in the Park met the SPCA of Central Florida's fundraising goal of $140,000.
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