Live music played as kids jumped around a blow-up obstacle course and dogs trotted through the park, wagging their tails and approaching different booths for treats. Kiddy pools were set up around the event where dogs cooled off, and special water jugs were available for all thirsty canines to drink from.
For dog owner and pet adoption specialist Madison Diaz, the “Joybound Around Town” event, held on Sept. 14 at Broadway Plaza in Walnut Creek, was an amazing way to see the supportive animal-loving community fostered by Joybound, the organization where she works.
“I saw so many dogs where I’m like, ‘Oh my God, you were adopted like two years ago and you’re my favorite,’” said Diaz. “It was great, it really was a hit.”
For Joybound, one of the East Bay’s leading animal rescue organizations, the all-day animal gathering represented one of its biggest fundraisers of the year while also celebrating the group’s 25th anniversary. “Joybound Around Town,” previously hosted in the spring, has typically “attracted anywhere from 3,000 to 4,000 participants, which is wonderful,” said Alyssa Stone, the group’s director of community engagement.
Joybound aimed to raise $87,000 with the mid-September event, which Stone called “a pretty lofty and aggressive goal.”
“But you know, I like us to work hard and challenge ourselves to raise these vital funds for Joybound people and pets,” she said. In the end, the event raised less than half that amount, bringing in $33,450.
All proceeds go toward helping Joybound in its mission to support animals in their community, adopt dogs and cats into loving homes, and promote animal welfare.
“Every dollar that’s raised helps us fulfill our mission to celebrate, elevate, and make the connection of the human animal bond and really support all the animals in our community,” said Stone.
Meanwhile, joy was in the air. At 11 a.m., people and their pets did a one-mile “paw-rade walk” around Broadway Plaza. The walk was the first of the day’s fundraisers, followed by live music and beverage sales as a variety of booths lined the plaza.
Booths included organizations ranging from the Club K9, which specializes in all-day-play dog boarding and dog daycare services, to Walnut Creek Arts and Recreation, which made a giant piece of paper available for anyone to come and draw on.
Other groups included Modern Animal, a veterinary clinic that supports the local animal shelter and promoted one of its locations just down the street from Broadway Plaza, on Diablo Boulevard.
Another organization, Lindsey Wildlife Experience, showcased two of its ambassador animals that live at its museum: a Pacific gopher snake named Camo and a western screech owl named Cypress.
Throughout the day, Joybound had its adoption van ready to help get animals adopted, along with other adoption organizations like Tiny Paws Rescue, Madera County Animal Services, Bay Area Pug Projects and Tehama County Animal Services. One attendee said she was hoping to adopt a dog at “Joybound Around Town,” and fell in love with an Australian Shepherd named Whiskey from Madera County Animal Services.
A volunteer with Tehama County Animal Services, who preferred to remain anonymous, reported that seven of the 17 dogs it brought to the event ended up going home adopted. This was the facility’s first time attending Joybound Around Town, but Tehama—which generally has around 200 dogs on site—regularly transfers dogs to Joybound to prevent overcrowding, the volunteer said.
The event also featured several stations for attendees to learn about pet health and wellness. Pet Food Express hosted a booth selling dog and cat food with nutritional information, and Lori Garcia, a CPR and safety volunteer teacher, gave demonstrations about how to perform CPR on dogs.
In addition to live music, the center stage hosted a pet costume contest and “lookalike contest” for pets that resemble famous animals, such as Toto from The Wizard of Oz.
“We thought that would be a fun addition. One of our amazing volunteers, who’s been helping us facilitate this event, came up with that idea,” said Stone, “and we were like, yes, we absolutely have to do that.”
Mindy and Gordido, two corgis, won first place in the costume contest, dressed up as a burger and fries. Their owners wore red-and-white fast food uniforms while pushing them in a stroller.
Second place honors went to Bee, a black poodle, who wore a matching bee costume with her owner. In third place was Lana, a mutt sporting a light-up dragon costume.
Whether raising funds, finding forever homes, or just sharing a sunny day with furry friends, Joybound’s big day in Walnut Creek left the town paw-sitively glowing.
