If you’d like to give your dog the best day of its life, Ruff Mudder might be for you.
The 2023 Ruff Mudder event is running June 24 to 25 at the Abernant Veterinary Hospital in Stayner. The 5.5-kilometre cross-country canine obstacle course aims to bring together people and their dogs for an experience neither will soon forget.
Tai DeLuna, one of the event’s co-organizers, owns the farm which acts as the backdrop for the event, as well as Abernant Veterinary Hospital in Stayner. She started the event with her partner back in 2014.
“We had open houses for the clinic, and one of the things people told us they really liked – it wasn’t the police dogs or attack dogs – was the guided walks we had on the farm,” said DeLuna. “We’re big outdoor people, and we would train for adventure races with our dogs but we had the leave them at home for the actual day.
“We wanted people to have a great adventure with their dogs,” she said.
New this year are some food truck offerings, including a food truck for dogs called The Bark'n Bakery. There will be a Paw-casso Pavilion where pet owners can make art with their dogs, and a Rescue Alley where dogs that are ready for adoption will be for meet-and-greets.
“New this year we’ll also have musicians on our trail, and in the beer garden by Collingwood Brewery,” said DeLuna.
This year, registration is limited to 1,000 spots over two days. Some of the registration fees will be donated to Pantry Four Paws.
“When people are low on money, it’s difficult for them to purchase any pet food. It’s important that food banks have dog and cat food,” said DeLuna.
DeLuna says some funds will also be donated to The Farley Foundation. The foundation was named for a character created by Collingwood native and cartoonist Lynn Johnston, whose popular comic strip For Better or For Worse featured Farley the Old English sheep dog. The foundation was formed to help low-income pet owners with the cost of necessary veterinary medical care.
And for DeLuna, she says the event is like her Christmas, Halloween and birthday all rolled into one.
“(This event) is one of the things I’m proudest of in my entire life,” she said. “It’s all about giving your dog the best day of their life. It isn’t competitive. It’s an anti-race where the person and dog who win are the ones who cross the finish line with the biggest smiles.”
For more information or to register, click here.
