Granny Rose hosting Steps for Strays at Lowell Park in September

DIXON — Steps for Strays is making its way to Lowell Park next month.

Steps for Strays is hosted by Granny Rose Animal Shelter and will feature a walk through the trails of Lowell Park, face painting, an owner-dog look-a-like contest, a best trick contest, informational tables from local pet-based businesses and more.

The event is set for Sept. 14 at Lowell Park, 2114 Lowell Park Road, Dixon. Check-in starts at 8 a.m. and the walk will begin at 9 a.m.

Participating in the walk costs $40 per team, which can include as many dogs as an owner wishes, GRAS Director Shannon Eastman said. Attending the other activities is free, she said.

Steps for Strays is a fundraiser to help the not-for-profit launch an elementary school education program, Eastman said.

Granny Rose staff in the spring did a presentation on pet care, pet safety and animal shelters at Morrison schools, Eastman said. The goal was to ignite interest in being “good pet friends” in the next generation, she said.

The presentations were a ton of fun for the kids, animals and Granny Rose staff, said Kalena Dixon, a GRAS care team member who is spearheading Steps for Strays.

“We’re using the Steps for Strays money to get that program going so we can buy everything we need for the kids at school,” Dixon said. “We’re putting together a curriculum for the teachers for a week. Then, on Friday, we’ll come and do a presentation and they [the kids] can meet our animals.”

The goal is to expand the program to six other school districts in the coming school year, Eastman said.

“We’re always trying to find ways to be a resource to our community, because without our community, we wouldn’t exist,” she said.

Any money raised by Steps for Strays that isn’t needed to fund the program will go toward caring for the animals in Granny Rose’s care, Eastman said.

When registering for the walk, owners must present all pets’ vaccination records, Eastman said.

Registration can be done the day of the event, at GrannyRoseAnimalShelter.org or in person at the shelter, 613 River Lane, Dixon. If registering online, vaccination records must be shown the day of the event.