By ANNE GEGGIS
Staff Writer – News-Journal

NEW SMYRNA BEACH — At this kind of a race, the water stations have to include some bowls on the ground.

But it’s worth it. Letting a race and a walk go to the dogs means a new tradition to raise money for their four-legged brethren down on their luck.

The Southeast Volusia Humane Society’s inaugural “Go Dog Go” 5-kilometer run and 1-mile fun walk brought out more than 300 human and canine participants, so there weren’t enough T-shirts to go around. But the response thrilled officials at the shelter, which has been facing tough times as more pet owners surrender animals they can’t afford to keep.

“I’m guessing we raised about $6,000, which is great for us right now,” said Mary Ann White, a member of the humane society’s board of directors.

This event — unusual because some of the running categories required a human and a canine team — will likely repeat next year, White said. It came out of an idea she got while running in a Clayton, Ga., 5-kilometer race.

“We were noticing how many people brought their dogs,” said White, whose rescued Labradoodle, Murphy, strutted in the walk rather than gallop in the run with her son, Kyle.

Five kilometers of running didn’t seem to do much to wear out Nisa of Edgewater. The Great Dane was frolicking with Finley, a Labrador mix, while Leah King caught her breath.

“This was great,” King said, breathing heavily. “Usually she and I run around the block. She could’ve kept going.”

Some, however, wanted to stop and smell, well, just about everything. As the walk began, Ginger, a 10-year-old beagle adopted from the Halifax Humane Society, appeared glued by nose to a post on a chain link fence.

“We’re not going to make it past the first blade of grass,” said Ginger’s owner Marilyn Stephens of Edgewater, laughing.

Saturday’s event brought out a full panoply of canine shapes and sizes. Bull Mastiff Beauregard and American Mastiff Clyde of New Smyrna Beach lumbered along. Schroeder, a miniature Yorkie, rode in his human’s arms. One of the puppies that played in the hit movie, “Marley & Me,” also did a star turn at Saturday’s event.

Laura Moore and John Rudd made the 90-minute trip from Apopka with Critter to support the event because of all they’ve gotten from having the Boston terrier/boxer mix in their lives, they said.

“We go and do so many more things because of him,” Moore said of the last three years.

OFFICIAL RESULTS:

OVERALL MALE WINNER-JESSE MONROE 17:45

OVERALL FEMALE WINNER-SUE O’MALLEY 21:04

OVERALL MALE with dog-KEITH SPAIN 21:49

OVERALL FEMALE with dog-HELEN COX 24:20

AGE GROUP STANDINGS:

Under 13 male: 1. Zachary Alhamra 20:41; 2. Steven Mosher 30:24; Anthony Peer 30:25.

Under 13 female: 1. Madison Michaels 29:14; 2. Lexi Clark 43:43; Kassie Clark 43:45.

14-18 male: 1. Danny Delay 20:51; 2. Christopher Anderson 21:50; Richard Jarrell 40:29.

14-18 female: 1. Kelsey Lansberry 33:34; 2. Arianna Toland 41:43.

19-29 male: 1. Charlie Templeton 20:04; 2. Gary Crondwell 21:47; 3. James Marshall 22:27.

19-29 female: 1. Greta Tinay 25:19; 2. Kristen Applebey 25:28; 3. Dana Gaddis 25:30.

30-39 male: 1. Carlos Sanchez 21:18; 2. Sean McDaniel 23:30; 3. Sylvan McElroy 24:58.

30-39 female: 1. Heather Peroni 23:45; 2. Molly Wainscott 24:43; 3. Zephyr Zuccaretti 29:37.

40-49 male: 1. Darren Cox 19:45; 2. Bobby Tameris 22:28; 3. Mike Parker 23:52.

40-49 female: 1. Angela Wells 21:24; 2. MaryAnn Rho 23:13; 3. Edel Flanagan 23:18.

50-59 male: 1. Jack Driskell 20:53; 2. Robert Baranowski 25:08; 3. George Beer 25:11

50-59 female: 1. Lynda Cogar 26:09; 2. Mary MacClendon 26:45; 3. Laura Parker 30:31

60-69 male: 1. Mike Zinn 22:52; 2. Lee Stewart 25:20; 3. Gary Fehey 27:33.

60-69 female: 1. Lois Docker 34:25

70+ male: 1. Horace Brannon 34:08; 2. Jack Curtain 45:11.