Long Beach community activist and dog lover Justin Rudd will serve as the grand marshal of the 19th annual Wag n’ Walk in Seal Beach in September.
The event, held at Eisenhower Park in Seal Beach on Sept. 27, will benefit the Seal Beach Animal Care Center through donations from participants and attendees.
Guests can walk their pets through Seal Beach and enjoy an animal expo, along with a strut down the runway by around 25 adoptable shelter pets.
Dee Carey, spokeswoman for the Seal Beach Animal Care Center, said there will be about 95 vendors set up on both sides of the Seal Beach Pier in Eisenhower Park, including a reptile booth, face painting and on-site screen printing.
The Seal Beach Lion’s Club will also host a barbecue for patrons to enjoy.
Carey said the Animal Care Center has dog and owner costume contests planned, as well as raffles, silent auctions and a drawing to win a $1,000 Visa Card.
Carey said the event has already exceeded $30,000 in sponsorship and vendor fees.
“The revenue will go entirely to the care of the animals in residence at the Care Center,” she said. “As a private, non-profit, volunteer run organization, we rely entirely on donations.”
Rudd said this is his ninth year acting as grand marshal for the event, which he has brought his three bulldogs to every year. This year, he will be joined by POTUS the Bulldog, following the passing of Riley the Bulldog earlier this month.
“I’m happy to help bring awareness to a small shelter doing big things to help dogs and cats in need of forever homes,” Rudd said. “I especially love the expo after the Walk, when all the shelter dogs get to strut their stuff down a red carpet runway and get introduced to the crowd. They are the rock stars, and are treated as such.”
The Seal Beach Animal Care Center Wag n’ Walk will take place Sept. 27 from 9AM to 2PM at Eisenhower Park, located at the intersection of Ocean Avenue and Main Street. For more information, click here.
Photo (above, left) from Wag ‘n’ Walk’s Facebook.