Harbor Hounds - September 14, 2013

Who let the dogs out?  Woof, woof – Woof, woof. 

Well on September 14, 2013, the people of Gig Harbor, WA and the surrounding area will collectively be letting their dogs out for a fun-filled charity dog walk to benefit the Prison Pet Partnership and other local and international charities supported by the Rotary Club of Gig Harbor – Midday.

Harbor Hounds, coming up on its 11th year of celebrating our love for our dogs, is a community event in which dog lovers walk their dogs between two locations housing a variety of sponsor companies and non-profit organizations sharing information and passing out samples to the many dog lovers who participate in the walk.  This year’s walk will take place between Skansie Brothers Park and the Eddon Boat Park in downtown Gig Harbor on September 14 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.

This year’s Harbor Hound’s Charity Dog Walk is being presented by Chambers Creek Pet Memorial Park, a New Tacoma Cemetery.  As the presenting sponsors, the fine folks from Chambers Creek will be present in Skansie Brothers Park just across from the Harbor Hounds Registration tent.

Other sponsors that will have booths at Harbor Hounds include pet friendly organizations, such as: Wilco (Harbor Hound’s shirt sponsor); Peninsula Pet Lodge (Harbor Hound’s wag-bag sponsor); Northwest Spay and Neuter Center; Puget Sound Veterinary Referral Center; Harbor Animal Hospital; Gig Harbor Kennel Groom & Board; Our Best Friend Doggie Day Care; Purdy Veterinary Hospital; Invisible Fence; Summit Veterinary Referral Center; Elite Pet Salon; Four Foot Photography; Evergreen Animal Hospital; MudBay; Green Cottage Pets; Stella and Chewy’s; The Hound Hangout; C.H.E.W Dog Rescue; Bed, Bark and Beyond; Bullseye Dog Rescue; and others.

In addition to those, there will be other local sponsors out to support the fun and meet the walkers.  These supporting sponsors include:  Kitsap Bank (Harbor Hound’s bandana sponsor);  Safe Harbor Consulting (our contest sponsor); Dr. Debra Enneking – General and Cosmetic Dentistry;  Q’doba Mexican Grill; Kitsap Credit Union;  Liberty Mutual Insurance; Evergreen Tree Care; Lunch Box Laboratory; Diana Howard Photo Art; Green Family Dentistry, the Gig Harbor High School Meister Boosters; and others.

There will also be five watering stations along the walk to help keep our hounds well hydrated.  Our watering stations are being sponsored by: Canterwood Golf and Country Club; Harbor Place at Cottesmore; Bayside Animal Lodge; Tides Tavern; and, Gig Harbor Veterinary Hospital.

There is still time and room for more sponsors.  If you are interested, please visit our sponsorship web site at, http://www.harborhounds.com/sponsors-2/

Harbor Hounds has more than 400 registered dog walkers participate in our event each year.  Registered walkers receive: an event T-shirt; an event bandana for their dog(s); a wag-bag full of goodies from our sponsors; and entry in a grand-prize drawing.  You can pre-register for Harbor Hounds, at a discounted rate, online at, http://www.harborhounds.com/registration/, or at the day of the event at designated registration booths.

All proceeds from Harbor Hounds go to various charities and services supported by The Rotary Club of Gig Harbor Midday.  The primary benefactor from this event is the Prison Pet Partnership.  In addition, some of the funds are used in support of: Gig Harbor Backpack Brigade; Gig Harbor High School incoming and outgoing exchange students; local scholarships; the Harbor History Museum; Courage Classic; a hydrotherapy pool for polio victims in Ethiopia; and other charities as selected by the rotary club members.

So please come out and join us, your neighbors and your local hounds on this fun and worthwhile day.