2025 VCA Walk for the Animals

The Walk will be held Saturday, February 1, 2025, at Las Olas Intracoastal Promenade Park (80 Las Olas Cir, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316). Registration begins at 7:30 am, and the optional Walk starts at 9:00 am. Visit over 30 booths offering games, exceptional products, and services, and more. If you are unable to attend, no worries! We still want YOU to walk in your own neighborhood on Walk Day or stay home (maybe in bed) - but still help gather donations to help the HSBC. Although we may not all be together, we are still continuing the cause. 

If you are participating virtually, we recommend mapping out 1 mile in your neighborhood, park, or wherever you’d like to participate. Stay updated by subscribing to Walk for the Animals emails and checking back to Walk4theAnimals.com regularly.

All Walk Day links will be available on the Walk for the Animals website closer to Walk day. 

If you can't find what you're looking for you can always email info@walk4theanimals.com. We're here to help.

There is no registration fee for the Walk, however, this is our shelter's largest fundraising event of the year. We encourage all participants to register their team and fundraise with us. All proceeds benefit the homeless animals in our care, the educational programs we support and the services we extend to the community. 

The optional Walk is approximately 1 mile long. It begins and ends at Las Olas Intracoastal Promenade Park. Shorter route options are also available for those who want to get back quickly so they can relax and enjoy the entertainment.

Event information is located on our About the Walk page and will be updated periodically. If you can't find what you're looking for you can always email info@walk4theanimals.com. We're here to help.

Although we encourage our Walkers to fundraise, there is no minimum requirement to participate.

The minimum amount required to qualify for incentive prizes is $150 for every Individual Walker and $1,500 for each Pack (team). The more we raise, the more animals we can help. We're paw-sitive you can raise more! We encourage Walkers to set their goal high, and when that goal is met, go above and beyond for the animals. Most people don't realize that fundraising and collecting donations for the animals is a fun experience, especially when you participate as a Pack (team). Each dollar raised counts towards caring for the homeless animals and the educational programs that we offer.  

Forming a Pack is a great way to have fun with family, friends and co-workers while raising funds for a cause close to all our hearts— the animals! It is also a great team-building exercise for any business interested in becoming a bit more philanthropic. Many of our Packs come from large corporations and clubs around Broward County, but we also have many Family and Friends Packs. In addition, qualifying Packs (those reaching $1,500 or above collectively) are eligible for special prizes and incentives on Walk Day including Pack photos, entry into prize drawings, Pack signs and a Pack prize for all members of your group. The more you raise, the more prizes you will qualify for.

Email info@walk4theanimals.com with the name of the person who made the donation, the amount (if known) and the person and/or Pack it should be credited to. We can look it up in our database to make sure it is properly credited to you. Be sure to include a contact phone number just in case we need clarification.

The possibilities are endless! The best way to start is to create your personal fundraising page on the Walk for the Animals website. Your page makes it easy to take advantage of the connectivity options with email, Facebook and Twitter. You can send a message to all of your contacts and they can make a donation directly to your page. Next, you can raise funds by asking for donations from friends, co-workers, neighbors and family. Most people are anxious to donate when they know their donation goes directly to help the animals. It's also fun to plan events like bake sales and car washes, or you can team up with a local restaurant where a portion of their sales for one evening are donated to your Pack. Always ask donors to check with their place of employment to see if they offer a matching donation program. By filling out a few forms and submitting them to the business, you can double their donation!

Your online fundraising page will help you keep track of your pledges and your goal. Thank you letters and tax receipts are automatically sent to everyone who donates if their contact information is provided.

Absolutely! Walk for the Animals is a family-friendly event. Children are always welcome. We even have a Kids Zone where they can do activities and crafts, making it a very memorable day for them. Leading up to the Walk, kids are very active in fundraising. They go trick-or-treating with their donation cans, they collect coins from family and friends, and they ask for donations for the animals in lieu of holiday gifts and more. Kids enjoy giving back to the animals.

We even have a Virtual Kids Zone. Children and families can participate in DIY dog and cat crafts that you can make for your own animals at home!

Although we'd love to see everyone on Walk Day, attendance is not a requirement. Animal lovers that want to help the homeless animals in our community but cannot make it on February 1st can still register as a Walker. You will still have access to the website tools to raise funds and you can still have fun planning events, knowing you are helping the animals. Track your donations on your Personal Fundraising page or use the donation form available on our Helpful Downloads page. Donations that are not collected online can be sent to: 

Humane Society of Broward County, ATTN: Walk for the Animals
2070 Griffin Road, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312

-or you can attend one of our Check-In and Donation Drop-Off days:

Check-In and Donation Drop Off:
Thursday, January 23, 2025- 9:00am -5:00pm
Friday, January 24, 2025 - 9:00am - 5:00pm
Saturday, January 25, 2025 - 10:00am - 3:00pm

If you’ve decided to create or join a Pack (team), but already registered as an Individual Walker, we can certainly help. All you have to do is send an email to info@walk4theanimals.com. Let us know the name of the Pack you'd like to be added to or the name of the new Pack you'd like to form. If forming a new Pack, you will be designated the Pack leader. If you have NOT registered and would like to start or join a Pack, start here and choose "Join or Start a Team, Registration is easy, but we're always here to help.

The possibilities are endless! The best way to start is to create your personal fundraising page on the Walk for the Animals website. Your page makes it easy to take advantage of the connectivity options with email, Facebook and Twitter. You can send a message to all of your contacts and they can make a donation directly to your page. Next, you can raise funds by asking for donations from friends, co-workers, neighbors and family. Most people are anxious to donate when they know their donation goes directly to help the animals. It's also fun to plan events like bake sales and car washes, or you can team up with a local restaurant where a portion of their sales for one evening are donated to your Pack. Always ask donors to check with their place of employment to see if they offer a matching donation program. By filling out a few forms and submitting them to the business, you can double their donation!

Your online fundraising page will help you keep track of your pledges and your goal, or you can use a printable donation sheet from our Helpful Downloads page. Thank you letters and tax receipts are automatically sent to everyone who donates if their contact information is provided.

Yes! Facebook is a wonderful platform to connect with friends, family members, neighbors, friends from your past who share a common passion for the animals. You can connect your fundraising page directly through your Facebook profile. When you complete setting up your Facebook fundraising page, anyone who makes a donation on Facebook it will automatically update on your Walk fundraising page!

If you need additional help or have any questions, please contact us at info@walk4theanimals.com.  

Company matches are a GREAT way to double your donations and make your fundraising soar! Many companies give back by matching employees' charitable contributions dollar for dollar. Check with the company you work for to see if they offer a match. You should also check with everyone who makes a donation to your page and ask if their company does the same. It's a simple process. A form is filled out letting the company know who you contributed to. Most forms are now processed electronically.

We are listed as the Humane Society of Broward County, a 501 (c)(3) organization, when searching in the electronic systems. We can help process the forms for you or your donors. Just email us at info@walk4theanimals.com with your information.

The check is then processed and sent directly to us. If you chose "matching donation" when making your online donation, we will have everything we need to credit your fundraising page.

Here are some resources to check out more about matching donations and to learn about some of the generous companies that take part in this program. If your company is not involved, maybe you can present it to them.

https://www.frontstream.com/4-reasons-company-needs-matching-gifts-program/

https://doublethedonation.com/matching-grant-resources/list-matching-gifts-companies/

https://www.1800runaway.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/corporate-match-directory.pdf

Dogs that are friendly with people of all ages and with other dogs are welcome to attend. More than 2,000 dogs will be in attendance, so we do not recommend bringing those that are not fans of crowds, noise or other dogs. We highly discourage bringing other types of pets (cats, snakes, birds, etc). This tends to be a stressful situation for them and we do not condone it. There are many ways to walk while still honoring your pet at home. You can create T-shirts, posters, or bring their photo with you. They will thank you for giving them the day off.

If your dog is the social type, ready to join in the fun, they must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet. We ask that you do not use retractable leashes as they have been known to cause accidents. For their protection, please make sure your dog is up to date on their vaccinations. If your dog is in heat, please let them stay at home.

You can pick up posters at the Humane Society of Broward County or let us know and we can mail a few to you. You can also print them directly from our Helpful Downloads page. The animals thank you for helping us to promote this event. It's so important to our shelter.

We can offer you a few choices. For money that you've collected outside of your online options, you can either:

1. Mail them to us. Please place them in a secure envelope clearly marked to:

Humane Society of Broward County, ATTN: Walk for the Animals
2070 Griffin Road, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312

We do not recommend mailing cash. Make sure you include your name, your Pack name (if applicable), contact information and the total amount being sent.

2. Bring them with you on Walk Day. We have staff set up to accept donations. You will still be eligible for incentives if you reach the next level of fundraising.

3. Attend one of our Donation Drop Off/Goodie Bag Pick Up days before the Walk at our shelter (visit the animals while you're here!):

Check-In and Drop-Off:
Thursday, January 23, 2025 - 9:00am-5:00pm
Friday, January 24, 2025 – 9:00am – 5:00pm
Saturday, January 25, 2025 - 10:00am - 3:00pm

If you receive donations after the Walk, that's ok, too! Just drop them by the shelter. Yet another opportunity to see our furry friends!

We try to make sure everyone, whether they have two legs or four, is hydrated. Water will be provided along the route for humans and dogs, but you are welcome to bring your own as well. 

We are die hards! We walk rain or shine and the humans and dogs have so much fun doing it.