Pooches to pound pavement for annual RSPCA fundraiser the Million Paws Walk

All dogs big and small, and their owners, are being encouraged to head along to the Million Paws Walk in Darwin today.

Darwin RSPCA chair Danny Moore and his pooches Molly and Buddy are looking forward to the Million Paws Walk. Picture: Che Chorley

ALL dogs big and small, and their owners, are encouraged to head along to the Million Paws Walk in Darwin today.

The annual walk raises funds to keep the door of RSPCA open.

RSPCA Darwin Board chair Danny Moore will be walking with his two dogs Molly the miniature schnauzer and rescue dog Buddy the cavoodle.

Buddy came into the care of Mr Moore last year when his owner headed south and had no capacity to keep him.

“Unfortunately his owner had to give him up, which would have been heartbreaking for his owner and him,” Mr Moore said.

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“And we took him on foster, because he wasn’t coping in the shelter environment for a few days, and we were thinking of getting another dog to go with Molly, to give her company and they got unwell and we ended up adopting him at the end of his foster period.”

Molly and Buddy are now firm friends.

Mr Moore said the Darwin walk was one of only four happening around the country, with the rest happening virtually due to COVID-19 restrictions.

He said it cost about $1m to run the shelter in Darwin each year with about 1000 animals a year looked after.

Darwin RSPCA chair Danny Moore and his pooches Molly and Buddy are looking forward to the Million Paws Walk. Picture: Che Chorley

“We’ve got the highest success rate of any RSPCA in Australia so 98 per cent of our animals that come in, get successfully rehomed,” he said.

The walk at the George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens will kick off at 9am, with registrations on the day open from 8am.

For more information, go to www.millionpawswalk.com.au/

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