I have a passion for animals. My bucket list is filled with animal-related activities, events & goals; one of them being; “run a charity race for an animal rescue.”

There is no better time to start than the present. So I will be running the Beat The Blerch Half Marathon for Old Dog Haven, with my 14 month old daughter training by my side.

My goal is to raise $1000 by my marathon date of Saturday, September 17, 2016.

There is one rule; I cannot run the race, and my daughter cannot watch me zoom (or crawl!) past the finish line, UNLESS I reach my goal!

100% of the money we raise will go directly to Old Dog Haven.

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Why Old Dog Haven?
I have many family & friends who have senior pets and I know the cost, time & energy that goes into caring for these senior citizens. It is organizations like Old Dog Haven that help give homeless senior dogs a place to live, a warm bed to lay on, and the medical care they need to live out the rest of their lives.

FROM ODH: Old Dog Haven is a foster-based rescue for senior dogs in Western Washington. We take in dogs 8 years and older, place them in safe, loving homes and provide all veterinary care necessary to restore the dog to health and an optimal quality of life. Priority is given to pulling dogs from shelters and those in hospice condition, but we also assist owners and shelters with finding appropriate homes for their adoptable senior dogs. The majority of ODH dogs are not adoptable and will live with their foster families for life as Final Refuge fosters. We currently have around 300 dogs in care and veterinary expenses run approximately $80K per month. Helping them is sometimes challenging, often expensive, but always rewarding. Our goal is that their last years are happy and that they die safe and at peace, knowing they are loved.

As our veterinary clinics are spread throughout Western Washington and some offer discounts to us, these are averages for what donations will cover. A large portion of our veterinary expenses come from complex surgeries at specialty centers which can run several thousands of dollars.

– $1,000 – Dental cleaning with extraction of painful teeth
– $500 – Cardiology exam with echocardiogram
– $250 – Full set of geriatric laboratory tests
– $100 – X-rays to check for arthritis and spinal conditions
– $25 – One month supply of joint supplements for a large breed dog

Please check out the links below for more ODH Info: 

– Website: www.olddoghaven.org
– Final Refuge (permanent foster) dogs: Final Refuge
– Adoptable ODH dogs: Adoptable Dogs
– Adoptable dogs courtesy cross-posted for others (owners or shelters that want to adopt out the dog themselves): More Adoptable Dogs

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THANK YOU: To those that have already donated & to those that will be donating. We truly appreciate it & are so excited to be able to help such a great cause!