This article originally appeared on Dr. Mahaney’s Pet-Lebrity News column on Pet360.com: Actress Jane Lynch Raises Awareness for Pets in Need ^[1].

^[2]

It’s was a very busy weekend for the people of Los Angeles involved in animal welfare causes. First, there was the K9s for Warriors Bark Business Benefit ^[3], hosted by Wendy Diamond and Jane Lynch (see ‘Glee’ Star Jane Lynch Helps Place Dogs with PTSD Soldiers ^[4]).

Early the next morning, I went to the Rose Bowl to work as the on-site veterinarian for the Race for the Rescues ^[5]. Coincidentally, Lynch was emceeing the event after having partaken in a vigorous 5K walk with her dog (and my patient) Olivia, and Olivia’s canine companion, Finn.

Having the opportunity to work with a seasoned professional like Lynch, who is an Emmy award-winning actress and Hollywood Walk of Fame star recipient, is a great honor. Not only is Lynch highly esteemed by her peers and fans, she’s a tireless promoter of helping animals in need. (especially considering she’s attending two events in one weekend).

Racing for the Animals

Race for the Rescues is put on by The Rescue Train ^[6] and has been growing in popularity with each year, in part due to Lynch’s involvement. A variety of animal interests are served by this event, as “the donations raised through Race For The Rescues will be used to help save the lives of once forgotten dogs, cats and horses and help them become cherished family members. As well as preventing cruelty to farm animals and providing important programs to the community such as veterinary care for the pets of low-income families and free spay and neuter clinics.”

There are multiple races from which participants can choose, including a 1K, 5K, and 10K.  I was really psyched to run the 10K (as I typically do two per year), but my on-site veterinary responsibilities had me setting up my booth at 645 AM instead of tightening my running shoes and performing my pre-race stretches.Humans and their canine companions were welcome to participate in all races. Lynch presented the winners with their much-earned awards. How cool would it be not only to have placed well in your age group but to also receive a trophy from one of your favorite actresses (Glee’s Sue Sylvester, the intimidating gym teacher)? That certainly would have motivated me to run faster (with Cardiff in tow, if it was the 1K).

Also on hand was Laura Nativo ^[7] (AKA The Fairy Dogmother), a regular on Hallmark Channel’s popular lifestyle show Home and Family ^[8], who lent her energetic judging prowess to  the Halloween costume contest.

Safety First

I greatly appreciate The Rescue Train giving me the opportunity to educate any interested pet owner about my holistic perspective on veterinary care. I spoke with many canine and feline caretakers about the importance of whole-food feeding, body weight management, periodontal disease prevention/resolution, and annual wellness physical examinations.

As Pasadena (the Rose Bowl’s home) is a place where the temperatures quickly rise to a degree potentially unsafe for dogs, so education about heat safety was tantamount to the event’s success. Concern for canine and human safety was a priority, as there was plenty of shady areas and cooling off stations with fresh water or ice available for any pooch (or person) in need of relief.

Called into Action at the Event

Fortunately, I was only called into action one time, when two dogs got into a minor scuffle that caused a small puncture in one of the dogs’ muzzle. A simple hair clip, cleaned with an antiseptic wipe, and application of triple antibiotic ointment (with the plan to follow up with his regular veterinarian in 24 hours) was all my patient needed on this day.

My friend, PR whiz, and creator of Muffin’s Halo ^[9], Silvie Bordeaux, was also on-site to help future dog owners be aware that compromised vision doesn’t indicate that an adoptable canine is less so or not able live a good quality of life. Her creation, Muffin’s Halo, helps sight-impaired dogs to better navigate the environment that we jointly share.

How You Can Help

If you’re interested in helping out a good cause, visit www.therescuetrain.org/donate.php ^[10]. Each donation helps fund the care for multiple species of animals in numerous rescue organizations around Los Angeles, including:

Angeldogs Foundation

http://angeldogsfoundation.org/ ^[11]

Angel City Pit Bulls

http://www.angelcitypits.org/ ^[12]

Auction Horse Rescue

http://www.auctionhorsesrescue.com ^[13]

Cat Posse

http://www.catposse.org/ ^[14]

DownTown Dog Rescue

http://www.downtowndogrescue.org/ ^[15]

Heaven On Earth Animal Society

http://heavenlypets.org/ ^[16]

K9 Connection

http://www.k9connection.org/Home.html ^[17]

Mercy For Animals

http://www.mercyforanimals.org/ ^[18]

Molly’s Mutts & Meows

http://mollysmuttsandmeows.org ^[18]

New Life K-9 Rescue

www.newlifek-9rescue.org ^[19]

The Rescue Train

www.therescuetrain.org ^[20]

Too Many Bunnies Rabbit Rescue

http://www.toomanybunnies.com ^[21]

United Pegasus Foundation

http://www.unitedpegasus.com/ ^[22]

Sante D’Or

http://www.santedor.org/ ^[23]

Main Photo courtesy of Silvie Bordeaux/www.muffinshalo.com ^[24]

Photo of Jane Lynch courtesy of Raceforrescue.org ^[25]

Video: Diana Woolley’s YouTube Page ^[26]

Thank you for reading this article.  Your questions and comments are completely welcome (I’ll respond).

Please feel free to communicate with me through Twitter (@PatrickMahaney ^[27]) and follow my adventures in veterinary medicine by liking Patrick Mahaney: Veterinarian Acupuncture Pain Management for Your Pets ^[28] on Facebook.

Copyright of this article (2013) is owned by Dr Patrick Mahaney, Veterinarian and Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist. Republishing any portion of this article must first be authorized by Dr Patrick Mahaney. Requests for republishing must be approved by Dr Patrick Mahaney and received in written format.