CORNWALL — Runners and their four-legged companions took to Cornwall’s roads Saturday, Oct. 17, as the Little Guild’s 13th annual Run & Wag 5K drew 238 human participants and 68 dogs to support the animal shelter.
Brittany Telke and her 6-year-old dog, Mazikeen, won the runner-and-dog category and finished third overall with a time of 19 minutes and six seconds. Telke and Mazikeen have won the runner-and-dog category several times.
Michael Mills won the overall race in 18:54, while Liz Fongler finished second in 18:59. Neither had a dog.
Starting at the town Green, the 3.1-mile course wound through Cornwall Village and the surrounding valley.
Participants could compete with or without dogs.
The gathering also featured live music by Relatively Sound, taco and pizza trucks, and a raffle with donated gift bags valued at as much as $400.
Brittany Telke and her dog, Mazikeen, won the runner-and-dog category at the Little Guild’s Run & Wag 5K. Tom Brown
Executive Director Jenny Langendoerfer said Run & Wag is one of the Little Guild’s two signature fundraising events, alongside the Great Country Mutt Show.
The race raises more than $20,000 from participants and sponsors to help the Little Guild rescue dogs and cats and find them homes.
Human participation was slightly higher than last year’s 233, while the number of dogs fell from 84 to 68.
This year’s race followed the May opening of the Little Guild’s new 8,000-square-foot shelter in West Cornwall.
The building replaced a converted house and includes dedicated spaces for adoption, animal socialization, quarantine and community programs.
Beyond sheltering homeless animals, the Little Guild supports area pet owners through food assistance, vaccination clinics and help with veterinary care.
Its partnership with Project SAGE provides care for pets of people experiencing domestic violence.
