If you ventured onto Grand Avenue last weekend, you may have noticed a large amount of dogs around campus. PAWS on Grand, the annual fundraiser supporting over 25 local animal rescues and run by the Grand Avenue Business Association (GABA), took place on Sunday, Sept. 7, stretching all the way from Dale Street to Macalester’s campus.
Many attendees brought their canine friends along for a day of animal themed events, treats and fundraisers. Dogs of all kinds, from Siberian Huskies to teacup poodles, brought PAWS on Grand to life.
Many different non-profit organizations set up tents along the event’s route. Rescues such as Animal Ark, Legends Rescue and Humble Hounds MN provided crafts, treats and information for the attendees. Twin Cities Parrot Rescue featured information on avian rescue efforts and MN Pocket Pet Rescue brought along a guinea pig to socialize with guests.
Different restaurants along Grand Ave. offered pet-themed or focused spaces, such as Red Rabbit’s dog wash, Emmett’s and Saji-ya’s offering of food and drink on a pet-friendly patio and The Lexington’s free gourmet dog treats.
The feline-focused part of the event was found outside of Catzen Coffee, with information on helping stray and feral cats in the area from Animeow Control and wildlife reserve efforts from The Wildcat Sanctuary. This location also featured pet portraits and supplies for handmade cat toys.
Along with the pop-up tents and events, the larger features of the day attracted the crowds. The Paws for a Cause walk from Oxford Street to Victoria Street encouraged people to bring their dogs on a walk as a group, raising money for local rescue partners.
The event hosted at Macalester, a Wiener dog race, brought an eager crowd together at 11:30 a.m. in front of Markim Hall. Students and community members were also joined by a wide variety of canine spectators and, of course, the 19 fiercely excited contes-tants.
The first bracket, which fea-tured a wide variety of small dog breeds, included eight dogs. The winner of this non-dachshund race was reigning champion Roi-sin the doodle, who also won the contest last year. The second con-test of 11 dogs, with a bracket of exclusively dachshunds, saw the one-year-old Winston claim vic-tory.
According to Carrie Frost, vice president of commercial lending at BandCherokee and member of GABA, while some rounds are a true test of speed, these races are often determined by other factors.
“It’s not really about the fastest dog, it’s more about the dog that’s paying attention to the person at the other end” Frost, who hosted this year’s dog races, said. “But the unpredictability is what makes it so fun.”
The races did not go without some funny moments. “[Some dogs] get distracted and run straight off [to] the side, or when they [almost] get to the end … and then just sit there” Frost said.
Notably, during the semi-finals of the dachshund race, one eager dog started to run early. This same dog proceeded to stay in place and play with their human once the race actually started.
Frost also hosted the same event for Grand Ole Days, the street festival GABA hosts in June, and she returned for PAWS on Grand with a continued focus of helping local businesses during the ongo-ing Grand Ave. construction. With Grand Ave. closed between Snel-ling and Fairview Avenues since the middle of May, the businesses along this part of the street have seen lower traffic.
“[GABA is] really trying to do as much as we can … to support the businesses that are affected” Frost said. In an effort to support the stores in the construction zones, “on our flyers we actually have little bo-nuses for people going to those businesses that are hard to get to” Frost said. “Unfortunately, some are still closing and aren’t going to make it through the construc-tion.”
For those looking to get involved with the community, Frost ex-pressed the need for volunteers in a variety of areas.
“You can volunteer for Grand Ole Days, PAWS on Grand … if you are interested in any of the dog rescue or nonprofits involved, we’ve got all that information” Frost said.
More information about GABA and its work can be found on grandavenue.com.
