Walk & Wag for One Health

Louisiana One Health in Action is excited to announce the 5th annual Walk & Wag for One Health 5K Race, 3k Fun Run, and One Health Fair. The event will be held at The Grove at Heritage Square in Sulphur on October 26, 2024 in celebration of the International One Health Day  It will be Fall themed! The 5K will be a timed competitive race for people only, and the 3k Fun Run will be open to both people and their dogs to celebrate One Health Day together! It is an effort to highlight the human/animal bond and to raise awareness of One Health- the interrelationship of Human, Animal, and Environmental Health. In addition to the 5K race and 3K fun run, the day will be filled with a variety of ways to have fun and learn about One Health while celebrating the human and animal bond.

Participants will have fun learning about One Health and One Health topics at the Kids Zone, Dog Zone, and Educational Zone. 

 -The Kids Zone will include an inflatable activity, animal face painting, hands on educational activities, pansy planting, and a variety of other fun activities. 

 -The Dog Zone will include a Smooch Your Pooch photo booth for fun pictures, best dog trick contest, and best dog costume contest. We can't wait for you to meet Dr Dog's therapy dogs and check out the sweet dogs available for adoption that day as well! Dog adoptions are handled through Calcasieu Parish Animal Control.

 -The Educational Zone will cover a variety of One Health topics presented by local medical professionals, veterinarians, and public health advocates. Some of the projected topics to be covered are common animal infections that can also infect humans, the importance of flea and tick prevention for animals to deter the spread of disease, effective tick removal for humans and animals, ways to prevent the spread of mosquito borne disease (presented by the Calcasieu Parish Mosquito Control), free Flu vaccines available and information about the importance of vaccines (provided by the LDH), among other One Health topics. Quizzes from the educational zone will be submitted for door prize drawings. 

LifeShare will also be setup for a blood drive this day as well! All blood donations supply our local hospitals right here in SWLA!  Learn about the blood bank for dogs as well to see if your dog qualifies to make a donation (handled through Gill Bright, but serves SWLA Vet Clinics).

Dog Rules- Know Before You Go!

Walk & Wag for One Health is open to humans running/walking with or without dogs. To keep everyone (and every dog) safe, special rules apply for those running with a dog. We strongly suggest that both the owner and dog train for this event, if you are planning on running. Runners should start conditioning themselves and their dog over the four-week period leading up to the race. You should inspect your dog’s pads for signs of injury (cuts and wear) and be careful in hot weather (carry water, keep runs short, watch your dog for signs of stress). We recommend jogging on trails or other locations where people run with their dogs, to acclimate your dog to running in a pack with distractions.

• Limit one (1) dog per person. Dogs must be at least 6 months old.
• Only bring dogs that are well-behaved around other dogs and people.
• Proof of rabies vaccination required. (Current rabies tag on collar is sufficient.)
• Female dogs that are in any stage of heat are prohibited.
• No dragging of dogs.
• Dogs must be on leashes at all times (maximum 6 feet).
• No retractable leashes, which may be hazardous in a crowd.
• Keep a short leash at the start to avoid entanglement.
• You must remove any of your dog’s waste. Plastic bags will be provided.

The race director reserves the right to refuse entry or remove a dog from the course, if it might prove hazardous to others.

• $35 Registration- 8/21 - 10/7 (Includes cost of shirt)
• $40 Late Registration- 10/8 - 10/26 (does not include cost of shirt)
• $45 Walk Up Registration (day of event) 10/26

Can't make it in person? Select our virtual race and raise awareness of One Health right in your own neighborhood!! 

All proceeds from this event will go toward funding Bartonella Research at NCSU Intracellular Pathogen lab under the direction of Dr Ed Breitschwerdt, DVM. Find out more about The Bartonella Project. 

What is Bartonella? Bartonella infection (Bartonellosis, aka Cat Scratch Disease) is one of the most important untold medical stories. Bartonella is a bacteria, but few people know about it. New methods for diagnosing it are showing it’s more common than previously thought. Animals are the primary reservoir and the bacteria is transmitted by an animal bite or scratch, fleas, ticks, lice, mites, biting flies, and even spiders. Because it is systemic, Bartonellosis can attack a variety of organs and tissues, including the blood, heart, liver, spleen, joints, and central nervous system. It has also been linked to three different cancers. People who spend time with animals, especially pet owners, and veterinarians are more susceptible to contracting Bartonella. About one-third of vets are actively infected by the bacteria, and two-thirds have antibodies to them (indicating exposure and/or active infection), according to Galaxy Diagnostics.