They came in costume, ready to race.
Dogs dressed as flower pots, hot dogs and royalty lined up on the field next to the College of Veterinary Medicine on Sunday, as part of a costume contest prior to the fourth annual Canine Cruise 5K Run/Walk.
The event, held to benefit MSU's Sponsor-A-Dog program, featured the pets' owners racing with their dogs. It was sponsored by Omega Tau Sigma, a coed veterinary student fraternity.
The Canine Cruise raised about $1,700 from nearly 100 participants, said Jessica Diaz, Omega Tau Sigma's community service chairwoman.
"The program is relatively new and we thought they needed a little head start," Diaz said.
Each year, Omega Tau Sigma chooses a new canine-related charity to benefit through the Canine Cruise.
The Sponsor-A-Dog program started in 2004 with 40 volunteers and 60 dogs as a way to give veterinary medicine students a chance to become more familiar with dogs.
The program now has 50 volunteers and 62 dogs, said Dana Hardy, president of Sponsor-A-Dog.
It is an enrichment program for dogs and animals that are used for educational purposes in the veterinary school, said Lisa Allen, animal care coordinator for the College of Veterinary Medicine. It provides a chance for students to get hands-on training with dogs by sponsoring and visiting them, and gives dogs a better quality of life, Allen said.
The money raised Sunday will hopefully go toward an outside exercise yard for the dogs, which could be estimated to be about $10,000, she said. The former exercise yard became a new parking lot for the veterinary school, Hardy said.
"The dogs are used for teaching routine physical exams (and) listening to heart and lungs," she said. "Students can ... also practice their handling and restraint skills with the dogs."
Human contact socializes the dogs and makes them more comfortable around people, Hardy said.
"These dogs were almost forgotten about until this program started," said Amy Schupska, founder of Sponsor-A-Dog. "Sponsor-A-Dog provides quality one-on-one time for the student and the dog."
The sponsors, usually veterinary medicine students, visit their dogs regularly and play with them, bring them treats, groom them and bathe them for a minimum of 30 minutes per week, Allen said.
The program also offers obedience training. The dogs behave better with students and future owners, said Chris Conklin, coordinator and director of the Michigan Weimaraner Rescue in Mason, which takes in and finds homes for Weimaraner breed dogs.
The Canine Cruise is a way to raise awareness about the program and to provide a healthy outlet for dogs, Schupska said.
"It's great to have a chance to celebrate the canine and human relationship," said English Associate Professor Steve Rachman, who won the race with his 3-year-old golden retriever, Lucy. "It's a pleasure to run with your dog to keep yourself and them healthy."
Running releases pent-up energy in the animals, Schupska said.
"Sponsor-A-Dog helps to give new experiences," Schupska said. "There's nothing like seeing a dog getting excited about life."
