NHSPCA: About the Society

May 22, 2008

Contact: Sheila E. Ryan
Director of Development and Marketing
Phone: (603) 772-2921 ext. 106

The New Hampshire SPCA is all abuzz as the 16th Annual Paws Walk rapidly approaches. The New Hampshire SPCA invites the entire community to Come, Walk, Save Lives on Sunday, June 1st at Stratham Hill Park in Stratham, New Hampshire.
The annual Paws Walk is open to young and old, with or without dogs, to walk and raise critical funds for the animals. Funds raised will help save animals' lives by providing food, safety, medical care and a second chance at life with a home and family for the nearly 4,000 animals turn to the NHSPCA each and every year. "There is still plenty of time for animal lovers to get involved," said Sheila Ryan, Director of Development and Marketing at the New Hampshire SPCA. "All folks have to do is go to our website (www.nhspca.org) and download a registration form. They can even register and raise their pledges online through Firstgiving. It's easy to do and is so important to the animals".

Firstgiving, a new online fundraising tool, makes raising money to help the animals easier than ever! Walkers have the ability to create their own unique fundraising page and forward it to contacts via email or link the page to MySpace or Facebook profiles. "It is a fantastic way for people to really expand their network and cast a wider fundraising net," said Meghan Larsen, Annual Fund Coordinator at the NHSPCA. "We are already seeing some tremendous success for fundraisers." Last year's event raised over $50,000 for the animals and this year's event is expected to raise even more. Walkers will qualify for awesome prizes based on their fundraising.

The event will feature fun and excitement for pets and people. Families are encouraged to come and enjoy the day. Youngsters have lots to do at Kids Korner where they can take part in crafts, face painting and have a blast in the bounce house. Special demonstrations will take place throughout the day and will feature NEAT, the NHSPCA trainers, and others. Vendors will be on hand throughout the day for those who need that perfect gift for their pet - or themselves. New this year will be a post-walk concert held at Main Stage featuring the classic rock band, Old B's of Hampton.

The Paws Walk offers two routes for participants to choose from. The 1 ¼ mile route goes throughout the park on mostly flat terrain while the 2 mile route takes walkers up to the top of Stratham Hill to find breathtaking views of Great Bay and the surrounding area. Registration begins at 10:00 AM and the walk begins at 12:00 PM preceded by The Blessing of The Animals. We are pleased to announce that Ralphie and Suzanne from WERZ will be our hosts for this year's walk. Please stop by and say "Hi!"

The NHSPCA would like to thank all of our tremendous sponsors for supporting Paws Walk 2008, especially our Top Dog Sponsor, Lamprey Brother's, Paws Walk Sponsor, Wadleigh Falls Veterinary Clinic, Signature Tent Sponsors, State Line Pet Supply and Ocean Bank, Main Stage Sponsor, Bid2Win Software, Inc, Activities Sponsors, The Boulders at RiverWoods, My Dog's Mind, PetCo Foundation, The Barking Dog, Water Station Sponsors, UBS Wealth Management, Bottomline Technologies, Tuckered Out Doggie Day Spa, and Media Sponsors, WERZ, Seacoast Media Group, Comcast Spotlight and Parenting NH Magazine. We would also like to thank The Friends of Stratham Hill Park for partnering with us on this crucial fundraising event.
For more information contact Meghan Larsen or Sheila Ryan at (603) 772-2921, ext. 105 or visit the NHSPCA web site at www.nhspca.org.

The New Hampshire SPCA is a community resource center that provides animal adoption, education, investigation and sheltering services in a professional and compassionate way. The Adoption Center is open from 11 am – 4pm on Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 11 am – 7pm on Tuesday and Thursday, and closed on Wednesday. For more information about the NHSPCA, visit www.nhspca.org.

News Release