BARNESVILLE — The first four legs to cross the finish line Sunday morning during the Lucky Dog Dash 5K were also the shortest.
Cooper, an 8-year-old Dachshund, led all other dogs in the race around the lake at Locust Lake State Park.
“He has a good pace,” his owner, Jaclyn Shokey, Jim Thorpe, said. “I take him for a lot of walks and he has done a few 5Ks.”
The race, held twice a year since 2014, had its largest turnout yet with 69 dogs and 104 participants, event organizer Mick Uranko, owner of Uranko Productions, said. The next race will be in October.
“We wanted to do a 5K race that was different for the area,” Uranko said. “It’s a unique event at a beautiful location.”
Other sponsors include Barkbox, Paw Prints Pet Salon, Mountain Shadow Veterinary Hospital, Schiaffo, Schaeffer & Associates of Remax Central, Murphy Jewelers, The Wire Guys and the state Department of Conservation of Natural Resources.
The event raised $1,305 for K9s for Warriors, a nonprofit organization that pairs dogs with combat veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Uranko, who was a captain in the Army Reserves, said the funds will go toward training.
“I’m a dog lover and like to support anything dog related,” Shokey said.
Lani Trovitch, Hazleton, and Crystal Bennage, Drums, also brought their dogs for the race.
“We had a great time,” Trovitch said.
“It was a lot of fun,” Bennage said. “We will definitely be doing it again.”
They said this is the only race in the area that allows them to bring their dogs. Trovitch ran with Daisy, a golden retriever, and Bennage ran with Bailey, a golden doodle.
“All the dogs made new friends,” Trovitch said.
“It’s well organized and a lot of fun for the dogs,” Bennage said.
Mary Leibensperger, Orwigsburg, said it was her second race with Jax, a rescue. They were running with Amy Ryder, Barnesville, and her dog, Wynch, who were running their first race.
“I take my dog everywhere,” Ryder said. “I think this is great to have them socialize. There are not a lot of dog-friendly activities in the area.
“I was quite impressed and will definitely be doing it again.”