A mile-long marathon for dogs, along with a 10-km open run for regular marathon runners will be held on Sunday morning. Registrations include many Indian and foreign breeds like Siberian husky, German shepherds, Labradors and Golden Retrievers.
Part of the proceeds raised by the marathon funds like registration fees and donations will be given to In Defense of Animals (IDA). IDA is a non-profit organisation for animal protection and rights. It promotes animal birth control programmes and vegetarianism and rescues the homeless and injured.
“‘Pet-a-thon’ is the first of its kind in the city. Most pet events are centred towards activities that involve day-long relaxed games like dress your dog. We wanted to make this more fun and involve the pet as much as the owner/caretaker. This marathon aims to bring out the healthy and athletic side of the pet,” said Malaika Fernandes, director and trainer at Princely Paws.
Princely Paws is a centre for canine training, behaviour modification consulting, grooming, pet sitting, animal telepathy services, and Bach flower remedies.
Only open to healthy dogs, a health check-up will be conducted pre-marathon by veterinary Dr. Umesh Karkare from Happy Tails. The run will start at Gandhi Maidan and pass through Diamond Garden before concluding at Gandhi Nagar in Chembur.
