The city of Lake Elsinore hosted the Twenty26 Pet Walk on May 9, bringing residents and their pets together for a 1.5-mile walk at the Lake Elsinore Levee.
The event also featured raffles, giveaways and vendor booths from local pet-related organizations and businesses.
“It’s a way to bring the community together,” Recreation Supervisor Alejandra Hancock said. “It’s very animal-oriented, and we like to do it here at the levee.”
The annual event has been running since 2012 and was previously held near the city’s Riverwalk area, according to Hancock. It was moved to the levee to encourage more residents to use the space.
“A lot of people live in the city and don’t really come out to the levee,” Hancock said. “The city has put in a lot of work into making it a nice walkable path.”
The event remained free for both attendees and vendors. Businesses participating in the event donated raffle prizes instead of paying booth fees. Raffle tickets were handed out at the end of the 1.5-mile walk, with additional tickets available through donations benefitting Animal Friends of the Valleys.
Animal Friends of the Valleys is a nonprofit organization that offers animal shelter and animal control services. According to Connor Wilson, event manager with Animal Friends of the Valleys, the organization regularly attends community events to connect with residents.
“We try to get out into the community as much as we can just to spread awareness,” Wilson said. “We bring out shelter dogs a lot of the time that are available for adoption.”
The organization also used the event to share information about its volunteer opportunities and programs.
“If you haven’t been to the shelter, definitely come down,” Wilson said. “Our shelter is beautiful. We always have an open door to the public to come in.”
At a nearby booth, Clinton Keith Veterinary Hospital staff members Marley Murray and Melody Banuelos connected residents with pet care resources. They said their team has participated in the event for about five years.
“We like to come support and see all of our community and all the animals that come out here,” Murray said. “We want to show love to everyone here.”
The event has become a tradition for many local pet owners.
Lake Elsinore resident Dan Croft said he has attended the event for the past seven years with his Great Dane, Phoebe, and brought his 1-year-old English bulldog, Ronnie, to her first event this year.
“This brings our little community together,” Croft said. “We like to see when they do events down here. It’s good use of the stadium and all the amenities around here, and hopefully it’s going to motivate them to build more.”
Sharon Strieck attended with Holly, her rescued teacup poodle mix, and said the event gives pet owners a chance to bond.
“Pets are our family,” Strieck said. “We all have something in common. We all love our pets.”
Other attendees said they appreciated seeing the city continue to host community events focused on pets and outdoor activities.
“I think it’s good for people to come out and see what the city has to offer,” said Tina Gerard, who has attended the event for the past four years with her wiener dogs. “It’s nice to see the city doing events like this for people.”
The pet walk has grown into a popular community gathering for local pet owners.
“A lot of people come and they really just enjoy being around animals,” Hancock said. “It’s a lot of people sharing pet stories and different things that maybe you wouldn’t get from a typical event.”
