The West Oahu Pet Walk is on again this year, but with a twist: It will be held in the evening of June 3 instead of the morning, at Ewa-Puuloa District Park in Ewa Beach.
The 1-mile walk, themed “Night Light and Bite,” will kick off at 6 p.m. to support Poi Dogs & Popoki, a nonprofit that provides mobile spay-and-neuter clinics to rural communities on Oahu. The entry fee is $50 per family (register by May 31 to receive a free light-up LED collar and bag of Teeth Treat dental treats).
The fourth-annual walk was scheduled for the early evening to take advantage of cooler temperatures, especially on the hotter Leeward Coast, according to Poi Dogs & Popoki founder Alicia Maluafiti.
“Every year, participation in the Pet Walk has doubled because West Oahu is the fastest-growing pet-friendly community in the state,” she said in a news release. “This year we expect 600 pet owners and 350 pets to join us at this pau-hana walk.”
Maluafiti launched Poi Dogs & Popoki in 2009 with a truck named the “Big Fix,” providing mobile, low-cost spay-and-neuter services in places such as Waianae, Hauula and Waimanalo. The group sterilized more than 5,000 cats and dogs last year, Maluafiti said, and plans to roll out a second mobile clinic in September, offering low-cost preventive services including vaccinations, deworming and flea treatments.
Five participating restaurants will provide pupu for humans participating in the Pet Walk, while dogs will receive treats, tennis balls, food bowl mats and other goodies. VCA Animal Hospital will staff an “Ask a Vet” booth, and other activities include a canine obstacle course, photo booth, pup play pool and tours of the Big Fix. Registered participants will also be entered into prize drawings.
