The student-run club Paws for a Cause held an event for disabled dogs in the small gym on Wednesday, January 20. The event was a race in which disabled dogs, many of whom were in wheelchair-like devices due to injuries of the legs, would compete with each other.
“They like to run, so they would race across the small gym,” said club leader and junior Jasmine Gomez. “We helped them set up and then we just kind of took care of the dogs. If they weren’t racing we would have to distract them, to keep them from going crazy.”
Currently there are 70 million stray cats and dogs in the United States, and three to four million animals are euthanized every year by shelters in the United States. Los Angeles in particular has a big problem with stray animals.
In the South Central area, thousands of dogs roam the streets. If you see a stray a stray animal, contact your local animal control agency, humane society, or SPCA.
The aim of the event was to expose people to the disabled dogs in order to increase the likelihood of their adoption. In order to adopt the dogs, one can contact Dharma Rescue.
Paws with a Cause was formed this year and volunteers at a number of places and events, including beach cleanups, dog shelters, rabbit shelters, and other things.
“I had the idea [for the club] since last year, but it was already too late to actually start the club,” said Gomez. “So I started it at the beginning of this year, with my friends, because we thought it would be a good idea.”
Paws with a Cause often collaborates with Dharma Rescue, an organization that rescues dogs and cats, providing them with shelter, spaying and neutering, health care, and rehabilitation.
They help out at Dharma Rescue’s events, where dogs are put on display in order to promote their adoption.
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