Charity dog walk on Saturday receives $2,000 donation

Radio Systems Corp.—home of the PetSafe and SportDOG brands—recently awarded $2,000 to the Mutt Strutt, a charity dog walk created by the Young Professionals of Oak Ridge Community Outreach Committee in partnership with SARG (Shelter Animal Rescue Group).

The Mutt Strutt was created to support the improvement of the Oak Ridge Animal Shelter, and this year’s event will be held at A.K. Bissell Park at 10 a.m. Saturday.

“We’re extremely grateful for the donation from PetSafe Radio Systems,” said Colin Colverson, community outreach chair for YPOR. “The shelter recently initiated a spay and neuter clinic, which will ideally reduce the population of unwanted puppies and kittens in East Tennessee. This grant will support the shelter’s goal of proactively attacking the problem of pet abandonment.”

Shelter Animals Rescue Group is a volunteer nonprofit group with a mission of getting as many animals as possible from the local shelters, making sure they are healthy, and placing them in foster homes until permanent homes can be found, a press release said. SARG has consistently placed more than 60 animals per year since it started in 1996. Last year, SARG placed 71 animals in their “forever homes,” the nonprofit expects to reach 1,000 animals placed later this year.

SARG has also purchased all new cots for the dog runs at the Oak Ridge Animal Shelter in the past, and recently, along with YPOR, contributed $10,000 toward much needed renovations there.

“Radio System’s generous support of this year’s Mutt Strutt will be a great benefit to the shelter animals,” the press release said.

Meanwhile, the City of Oak Ridge is engaged in building a PetSafe Dog Park on the west side of Oak Ridge, planned for an autumn 2013 opening, the release said.

Radio Systems Corp. is headquartered in Knoxville, and it is a world ­leader and innovator in electronic pet containment and training solutions, the release said. The company provides community grants in support of youth education and pet welfare causes.

The Young Professionals of Oak Ridge is committed to creating and engaging in community events for the betterment of the City of Oak Ridge.