With high-speed tail wagging cuteness, Lake, Burley, Griffin, May, and Royal eagerly invite all Canberrans to join them in fighting animal cruelty, one step at a time.

The annual Million Paws Walk is back up and dog-walking in the ACT on Sunday 29 May, and the local RSPCA are paw-ssionately aiming to raise $100,000 to support their critical work.

RSPCA ACT CEO Michelle Robertson is optimistic this year’s event will be a big one for the organisation but are so far falling short of their fundraising goals.

“We’ve got a whole lot of hope. We’re hoping to sell 3,000 tickets, but we’ve only sold 739 so far. It’s a post-Covid environment, it’s a long weekend … so I just hope that people are going to be around and are going to realise it’s a great day out,” says Ms Robertson.

“You get to do fun things, but you also get to support a really worthy cause. So, we have our fingers crossed.”

Every single dollar raised from the Canberra Walk goes straight into the RSPCA ACT’s pocket to help finance the running off the ACT shelter. And after two years of cancellations, the funds from this year’s event are desperately needed.  

Ms Robertson says over half of the RSPCA’s income is generated from donations, so this fundraiser is a lifeline for the running of the organisation.

On top of raising money, the Walk creates an important dialogue around taking a stand against animal cruelty, and raising awareness of the need to treat animals with dignity and respect.

“All of the animals we have here are special, but some of them, the ones that are more complex … I just feel that there’s an extra special place in my heart,” she says.

“We’ve got a cat called Houdini, and when he came in here, his eyes were so bad that they were shut and he couldn’t see anything. Now, after being with us for a while and with lots of work, you can see his eyes and they’re so beautiful!”

The more harrowing stories of neglect and abuse that make their way through RSPCA ACT hit Ms Robertson close to her heart, and she can’t help but feel emotional talking about the innocent animals.

“It’s just heartbreaking. We’ve got puppies who’ve got ringworm and they are so young and so sick. We really struggle to find people who will take on ringworm puppies, so they can’t go into foster, and when I see them… it just hurts my heart,” she says with a tremble in her voice. 

“There was also a dog called Kahlua who was with us for a very long time, and she had per puppies here and they were super cute, and they got adopted out while she stayed, and stayed, and stayed, and she was adopted last week! That was so exciting.”

Considering Canberrans’ notorious kindness for giving and charity, Ms Robertson says she feels fortunate to live in a city where people generally love animals.

She says the Walk is a great way for those people to show their support with a fun day out at Lake Burley Griffin – and you don’t need a pet to join.

“It’s a great day out, just such a wonderful day. It should be a beautiful autumn day, the trees are stunning, the water is beautiful, and you get to walk with your best friend! There’s entertainment, stalls, food and drinks, music, and just a really good vibe,” Ms Robertson says.

“You can still come down even if you don’t have a pet and walk with your friends, or just come down anyway – I’m sure most people would be okay if you want to sneak in a bit of a pet or scratch. Although, I don’t recommend you bring your hamster or cats,” she smiles, “and we’d rather you leave your rabbits at home.”

At four weeks old, our cover stars are a little too young to join the Million Paws Walk just yet, but the little Maremma fluff balls are all named in honour of the fundraising event. The best part is, they’ll also be available for adoption in a few weeks and looking for their fur-ever family!

To join the Million Paws Walk at Lake Burley Griffin, to join the virtual walk, or to donate to RSPCA ACT, visit www.millionpawswalk.com.au

Canberra Daily would love to hear from you about a story idea in the Canberra and surrounding region. Click here to submit a news tip.