We lost our wonderful dog, Sandy, to metastatic cancer just before Christmas of last year. She had been part of the Czuppon family since we adopted her in 2003. The sadness that we experienced was quickly replaced by joy as we adopted Buster, a 2-year-old lab mix, from Stray Rescue of St. Louis. He has been a great addition to our family and quickly accepted by Sierra, our 11-year-old German Shepherd/Lab mix. We discovered that Buster was likely abandoned by a breeder because he has a small white imperfection on his nose, that would have rendered him less "desirable" for anyone looking for a purebred yellow lab. We are fortunate he wasn't euthanized, and that he found his way to Stray Rescue.   Meanwhile, Brianna has been participating in an after school program named "Club HOPE" which teaches kids about the humane treatment of animals. She has been inspired to change her career path from ice cream truck driver (kindergarten dreams) to veterinarian. Although she is too young to volunteer at any of the local shelters, she has grand plans to run a lemonade stand this summer, with all the proceeds benefiting dogs in need. When I heard about this fundraiser that Stray Rescue is organizing as part of the Go! St Louis Marathon, I asked Brandon and Brianna if they wanted to participate, and they said yes. They volunteered $10 of their own savings to help the dogs.    Please help us show our kids how good it feels to help something larger than themselves by donating any amount to this cause, and passing it along to any other dog-loving friend you might have who would be willing to do the same. Merely seeing names appearing on their donation list would be wonderful.  

About Stray Rescue of St. Louis
Stray Rescue’s mission is to lead the way towards making St. Louis a compassionate city where every companion animal knows health, comfort, and affection, and no stray is euthanized merely because he or she has been abandoned or neglected. As part of our mission, Stray Rescue is out on the streets daily taking a progressive, proactive approach to establishing a permanent resolution to the stray companion animal problem through dedicated rescue efforts, sheltering, community outreach programs, education, collaborations, and the encouragement of responsible pet guardianship.

Team Running Buddies is an energetic, compassionate group committed to running on behalf of Stray Rescue of St. Louis and homeless companion animals awaiting their second chance at a life filled with warmth and comfort. Join the team today by clicking the "Join the Team" box on the right!

We ask that any individual running for the team commit to raising $500. Sign up to run for the marathon, half-marathon, marathon relay, or 5 K run/walk before March 1st, and you will get these great benefits through Stray Rescue:
- Cover the cost of your entry fee (there are races for all levels)
- A specialty Team Running Buddies performance shirt
- Hands-on training assistance, training tips, group runs, and rallies
- An army of compassionate supporters to urge you on
- Special race day perks

Click here to begin your simple registration process!

Running isn't your thing, but you still would like to raise money on behalf of our four-legged friends? No problem! Skip race registration and join the team!

The goal of the Running Buddies program is to build awareness of Stray Rescue’s mission by collaborating with our community’s running enthusiasts, the companies they work for, and the fitness organizations to which they belong. The program seeks to enrich the lives of shelter dogs while making them more adoptable through exercise and socialization, as well as highlight and strengthen the human/dog bond. We also seek to promote health and wellness for program participants and provide those who cannot own a dog with the opportunity to experience the joy of spending time with them.

This program is a fun, unique, and meaningful way to stay in shape while enriching the lives of shelter dogs as they await their loving forever homes. All participants have to do is visit Stray Rescue’s Pine Street shelter and “check out” their buddy… then they’re off and running!