The Fast & The Furriest®

Verona Street Animal Society
The Fast & the Furriest®
Monday May 31st - June 6th

The Fast & The Furriest® is going virtual again this year! This means participants can run and walk anywhere and anytime, while making a difference in the lives of animals in need!  Get ready and get set because we have a week of fun activities planned for all you dog lovers.   Between Monday, May 31st and Sunday, June 6th, you can:

Participate in the 5K, 10K, or the dog walk.Take the Far & Furriest Challenge by completing ALL THREE events: 5K, 10K, and dog walk (more info below)Bid on the fabulous items in our ONLINE AUCTION. Details to come soon.Join us, in person, for our Pet Parade on Saturday, June 5 or catch it lived streamed on Facebook. Register to attend the in person "Micro Pet Festival" at Brown Square Park on Saturday, June 5thAsk your friends and family to support a cause you are passionate about by creating a virtual fundraising page for the event this year.

Virtual Run Details:

You have from 12 a.m. on Monday, May 31st to 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, June 6th to complete a walk, 5K or 10K on the streets, trails or treadmill. Run, walk, or hike, with or without your dog—it doesn’t matter. When done, share your results with us (directions to follow) to prove you’ve completed the event! 

NEW THIS YEAR!  The Far & Furriest Challenge!  Challenge yourself and complete ALL the events, 5K, 10K and dog walk, in the week timeframe.  Those that register for the Far & Furriest Challenge will get an additional VSAS swag item!

Registration is $35 for each event (choose 5K, 10K, and/or walk) or $55 for the challenge. Registered participants will receive a T-shirt and access to a virtual marketplace with exclusive offers from sponsors and vendors.  You must register by Sunday, May 16th to be guaranteed a shirt!  T-shirts will be available for pick up on Saturday, June 5th during the in person Micro Pet Festival that will take place from 9am to 1pm at Brown Square Park or you can chose to have it shipped to you.  

The Overall Fastest Male and Female in the 5K and 10K will win a $25 gift card to Fleet Feet.  Winners will be announced on the The Fast & The Furriest® Facebook Event Page the Monday after the event week.

Micro Pet Festival:

Join us on Saturday, June 5th from 9am to 1 pm for the micro pet festival at Brown Square Park.  To control capacity participants must register for this event.  Two time slots are being offered to choose from: 9am - 11am or 11am to 1pm.  This is a limited capacity event so make sure to register early!  Registration is FREE!  Register above.  The micro pet festival will include the Pet Parade at 9am, vendor and sponsor booths, pet photo booth, play group demonstrations, non profit booths, food trucks and more!  There will also be a FREE, drive up, vaccine clinic taking place from 10am to 1pm.  This is by appointment ONLY!!  Book your appointment here!

While going through the registration process make sure to set up your individual and/or team fundraising page and help increase our impact in serving people and animals in our community. Personalize the page with your own story, link it with Facebook Fundraising, and set your own personal goal. During this challenging time we all need to support and encourage each other. Learn more about setting up a fundraiser and other tools and tricks here.

Reach these fundraising goals and receive prizes!

Raise $50 - VSAS car window decalRaise $250 - VSAS cooler or blanketRaise $1,000 - 3-month subscription to Bark BoxRaise $2,000 - DNA test?

Throughout the journey and on event-day, you are encouraged to engage with Verona Street Animal Society on Facebook and Instagram and on The Fast & The Furriest® Facebook event page by sharing photos and videos of your training sessions and participation in the virtual event. Don’t forget to include your furry friends and fitness companions! Use the hashtags #TheFast&TheFurriest and #Fundraising4RAS to connect with other fundraisers and event supporters.

All runners and participants are welcome!!!!!!!  Pets are not required, but we encourage dogs and cats (and any other companion animal) to participate virtually as well. 

Why is your paw-ticipation so important?

By supporting Verona Street Animal Society and Rochester Animal Services, you are helping animals get the second chance they deserve. All funds raised through The Fast & The Furriest® event directly impact the animals in our community by:

Providing food, shelter, enrichment and medical care at the shelterPromoting adoption, lost and found, and spay/neuter programsSupporting under-served communities by providing access to pet resources

When setting up your fundraising team WHILE registering for the race, make sure to set up your own individual or team fundraiser on the donation page!

Need some ideas for routes to run/walk?  Here are some sample routes!

Cobbs Hill Area: 

5K Route Option10K Route Option

Downtown/Genesse Riverway Trail

5K Route Option10K Route Option