Friends of Orange County’s Homeless Pets (FOCHP) Preps for 6th Annual Walk 4 Rescues
Bark in the park before dark event to support dogs (and cats) in need of adoption
IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 20, 2015 – Friends of Orange County’s Homeless Pets (FOCHP), one of Southern California’s most notable and respected animal welfare and adoption organizations, has announced its 2015 Walk 4 Rescues. The sixth annual installment of the popular fundraiser, sponsored again this year by North Tustin Veterinary Clinic, will be held at 10 a.m. on Oct. 11 at Irvine’s bucolic Mason Regional Park and promises to be a rewarding and fun-filled day for hundreds of four-legged pets and their two-legged owners.
Everyone who pre-registers will be entered into a drawing for a two-night stay –with their dogs — at the luxurious Ritz-Carlton in Laguna Niguel.
The leisurely 5K stroll around the park’s 9-acre lake, which also winds through rows of canopy-topped shade trees, is suitable for young children, parents with strollers and dogs of all ages. But beyond being a relaxing walk in the park, the Walk 4 Rescues will serve to raise awareness and funds for an important effort to find loving homes for local animals in desperate need of adoption.
In addition, some of the dogs ready to be adopted will be easily identified at the walk to facilitate new matches. Participants also will receive goodie bags for their dogs (or cats waiting at home) and can visit a variety of vendors with pet-related products on display and/or for sale.
FOCHP is a licensed 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to making homeless and unwanted animals adoptable and pairing them with lifelong families. The all-volunteer organization is committed to reducing the number of adoptable animals living in local shelters and giving them a second shot at life by avoiding euthanasia and finding a loving home.
“The FOCHP mission is actually quite simple, and in a way, it’s really about rebranding,” said Cindy Dobbins, president of FOCHP. “We’re taking in ‘homeless animals’ and giving them new identities as ‘adopted pets’ by first getting them healthy and then finding loving homes and owners for them.”
This work can be costly, as each animal is medically evaluated, including testing for communicable animal diseases, and then treated, if needed. In addition, each animal is neutered or spayed, and is vaccinated and micro-chipped. Each animal is placed with one of FOCHP’s foster families until a “forever” home is found.
The 2015 Walk for Rescues will begin at Area #1 within Mason Regional Park. Event registration is $25 and while pre-registration is encouraged (at www.fochp.org), walk-ins will be welcomed the day of the walk. Mason Regional Park is located at 18712 University Dr., Irvine 92612.
About FOCHP:
FOCHP was founded in 2005 by a group of women who had been volunteering at a local animal shelter. The group realized that animals were better served out of a shelter environment and rehabilitated through grooming, veterinary services, spay/neutering, training and rescue. With no paid staff, FOCHP is 100 percent volunteer run and donor supported.