Charity Dog Walk on Sept. 17 Will Help Homeless Animals

An English bull terrier named Lilly, abandoned by her owner because she was sick, is happily settled in her new home with Jim and Geraldine Peters of Saline, and is a new buddy for the Peters’ American pit bull terrier Bonnie.

Homeless and abandoned animals are a passion for the Peters, who co-founded the Saline K9 Crusaders with Saline residents Kathy and John Bauman, Wendy Niccoli and others, to raise funds for local animal shelters.

The nonprofit organization is gearing up for its third annual Strut 'N' Your Mutt Charity Dog Walk and Costume Contest, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 17 at Mill Pond Park.

The event, taking place rain or shine, will raise funds for Friends of Michigan Animals Rescue in Belleville, a nonprofit no-kill shelter.

Activities include a group walk, costume contest, raffle, prizes, agility course, low-cost micro chipping, K9 games, and live music. Trainers, behaviorists, groomers, and rescue groups will be on site, and there will be exhibits by 14 vendors.

Prospective pet owners can find out about dogs and cats waiting for “forever homes.” Many are abandoned because owners could no longer afford to care for them, or because they grew older, or had an injury or illness. Some dogs are discarded by uncaring owners whose only interest was in using the animals for financial gain.

Getting homeless dogs and cats ready for adoption is expensive.

“That’s where the K9 Crusaders come in -- our fund-raisers help shelters cover that cost,” Peters says.

“You can’t believe how cold people can be. There are a few beautiful dogs at the shelter now that are older and people bring them in and leave they because they want a young dog. It’s hard to understand.

“Many dogs that are picked up have heartworm and it’s expensive to cure – the shelter picks up that expense. Their vet bill can be thousands of dollars a month getting animals ready and healthy for adoption. It takes a dedicated system of many volunteers to make it work.”

Lilly is one of the fortunate pups. Picked up off the streets by animal control, she was on her last day of a 7-day holding period at the dog pound.

“She was dealing with a high fever and life threatening infection,” Peters says. “Animal control does not have the funds to treat sick animals, so her future was looking pretty bleak.”

According to the medical report, Lilly had been a breeding female confined to a cage most of her life and kicked out on to the streets when her breeding days were over.

“Lilly was used to produce puppies over and over,” Peters says. “When she could no longer have pups she was thrown away. Pit bulls and greyhounds have the same problem with man’s greed – they’re used to make money then discarded.”

A rescue organization called The Buster Foundation got a call to save Lilly, and they called Saline K9 Crusaders who took her in as a foster.

“Lilly’s story is about people doing their part and how this time the system worked,” Peters said. “After several visits to the vet, Lilly’s back in good physical condition, happy, loving and ready for her new life. She’s a terrific dog and a joy to have around. It’s hard to understand how people can discard a dog like this, like trash. I believe these dogs knows they’ve been saved an appreciate it. Her tail never stops wagging.”

Saline-area resident Deb Sedore adopted her pit bull Hannah -- a rescue dog with a story similar to Lilly’s -- a couple of years ago. The pair enjoyed the 2009 and 2010 Walks with and plans to attend this year. “The walks were a lot of fun, Hannah and I enjoyed meeting other dogs and dog owners,” Sedore says. “I also got a lot of information and support.”

The K9 Crusaders have a regular booth at the Saline Farmer’s Market, had a booth at the Saline Community Fair and walked in the fair parade.

For more information, visit wwwK9crusaders.org and www.fmar1.org.