Francesca Lanfranchi did not let the rain stop the fun at her 3rd annual Strut for Mutts event on Sunday May 18th. Francesca has had three successful fundraisers for Beacon Animal Rescue, and she is only 12 years old. She got the idea when she attended a fundraiser by another animal rescue. After seeing how much fun everyone had, Francesca thought she could raise money for her animal rescue by organizing an event where dogs and their people could have a fun afternoon together. Francesca started planning in the fall and worked all through the winter getting ready for the spring Strut for Mutts event.

She organized the event by writing letters and going door-to-door to area businesses looking for donations and volunteers. This year, she even found a celebrity panel of judges: Dan Skeldon of TV 40, Lynn Lore of the Atlantic County Woman magazine and Dr. Mark Newkirk were all present to judge the spe­cial event.

This year, the event started off with a “social gathering” of dogs and their people. Dogs got acquainted and mingled while their families did the same. There was a silent auction and a Chinese auction kept the humans busy, while the dogs continued to socialize and take in all the sights and smells. One of their favorite smells is the one coming from the hot dog cart, which is the signature food of the Strut. One attraction everyone loves is One Eyed Jack, the Frisbee-catching dog, who has been performing at every Strut for Mutts fundraiser to a crowd of his fans. After a demonstration from One-Eyed Jack the competition began.

Dogs paraded around the park to “strut their stuff” for the judg­es. Many winners were chosen and awarded prizes and trophies in different categories. There was a threat of rain the whole day, but it held off until after the winners were selected and everyone found shelter under the pavilion to hear the results of the various auctions.

The Strut brought a total of $4,795 for the animals at Beacon. If you are interested in joining in the fun next year, watch Atlantic County Women for details around the same time next year.