Here’s a treat for all canine lovers and their prized pooches! It’s that time of the year for DogathonTM 2009, brought to you by VETERNAK-Zoologico Club of Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for the 13th time.

A fun day out is promised for all as the theme of this year’s event ‘Carnivale Canine – Tails up, It’s show time!’ will give our furry friends a chance to strut their stuff.

For the uninitiated, DogathonTM is an annual charity event meant to raise funds to be channeled to ‘Prokasih’ or Stray Animal Neutering Project, also spear-headed by veterinary students. It acts as a platform to gather pedigree or non-pedigree dogs and dog lovers in a fun social setting for the entire family and seeks to promote responsible dog ownership and increase public awareness of the veterinary profession.

Among the new, exciting games include ‘Doggy-Go-Round’ which is a doggy spin on the traditional musical chair game, ‘Fixing Mr. Clown’ which requires the participants to be a fast runner to help to recover his happy look, and ‘Speed-O-Eater’“ which tests your speed in both running and eating! Besides, participants who are artistic and fond of photography taking may also take part in ‘Clownie & Doggie’.

The main highlight of the event, however, is the Carnival Dog Race, where dogs and owners will enjoy a morning sprint on the lush campus grounds of UPM. The 3.0 km carnival dog race will include challenging obstacles and mystery treasures waiting to be unearthed.

Dog owners may also have their pets checked by experienced veterinarians as the University Veterinary Hospital (UVH) will be providing medical consultation for a minimal fee of RM3 per check-up. 

Last year, DogathonTM was endorsed by The Malaysia Book of Records as the Biggest Gathering of Dogs with a total of 600 canines in attendance. So don’t miss out on the chance to become a part of history if that record is broken this year.

Head on down to Bukit Ekspo, UPM Serdang on the 16th of August 2009 (Sunday) for a lovely dog day out. The event is scheduled to run from 7.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m.