After a two-year hiatus, an annual celebration of the bonds between local pets and their human friends returned to Napa on Sunday.
Hundreds of people, most of them accompanied by their dogs, took to downtown streets for Napa Humane’s 11th annual Walk for Animals, the latest local gathering to emerge from long curbs on mass events. The 1.4-mile stroll through the city center and along the Napa River from the Oxbow Commons — a major fundraiser for Napa Humane’s animal welfare efforts for more than a decade — had been replaced in 2020 and 2021 by online events due to state and county crowd -size restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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About 350 people — many joined by their canine companions, sometimes clad in playful costumes — took part in Sunday morning’s stroll, according to Napa Humane’s executive director Wendi Piscia.
Under a cloudy sky that gave way unusually early to morning sun, dogs and owners set off from the Commons on a leisurely route over the First Street bridge, then down the Harry T. Price Riverwalk and finally back into the Oxbow.
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Following the procession was a pet-themed festival at the Commons with animal contests, a photo booth and dog-training demonstrations. Also featured at the gathering were pets being offered for adoption by the Napa County Animal Shelter and Ripple Effect Animal Project, the humane society’s partners in the event.
Napa Humane is aiming to raise $80,000 from this year’s Walk for Animals, compared to the $100,000 it garnered for its previous in-person festival in August 2019.
Proceeds from the Walk for Animals will fund the spaying and neutering of pets, of which Napa Humane performs about 5,000 procedures a year to help reduce the number of homeless kittens and puppies in the community. Other programs funded by Napa Humane include vaccinations, implanting of tracking microchips in pets, and animal welfare education.
Donations to Napa Humane in connection with the Walk for Animals will continue to be accepted through Aug. 31 online at napahumane.org, or by email or in-person drop-off at Napa Humane, 3265 California Blvd., Napa, CA 94558.
For more information, visit Napa Humane at napahumane.org.
PHOTOS: Walk for Animals returns to downtown Napa
Napa Humane’s Walk for Animals 2022
Milo, a 5-year-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel, was the greeter and namesake at a booth opened by the Milo & Friends Pet Boutique at the Oxbow Commons during Sunday’s annual Walk for Animals organized by Napa Humane.
Howard Yune, Register
Napa Humane’s Walk for Animals 2022
About 350 people, most accompanied by their dogs, strolled from the Oxbow Commons through downtown Napa on Sunday as Napa Humane staged its first in-person Walk for Animals fundraiser since the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020.
Howard Yune, Register
Napa Humane’s Walk for Animals 2022
Dog owners taking part in Napa Humane’s Walk for Animals on Sunday got a moment in the public eye while being interviewed by master of ceremonies Tom Fuller (left) at the Oxbow Commons.
Courtesy of Seymour & McIntosh
Napa Humane’s Walk for Animals 2022
Two canine participants in Napa Humane’s Walk for Animals on Sunday eyed each other curiously at the Oxbow Commons, minutes before the start of the fundraising procession of pets and their human companions through downtown Napa.
Howard Yune, Register
Napa Humane’s Walk for Animals 2022
The path of Sunday’s 11th annual Napa Humane Walk for Animals took hundreds of dogs and about 350 of their two-legged friends down the Harry T. Price Riverwalk, on a route that began and ended at the Oxbow Commons.
Howard Yune, Register
Napa Humane’s Walk for Animals 2022
Paw-print buttons were among the souvenirs available to pet owners on Sunday as the arrived at the Oxbow Commons park for the beginning of Napa Humane’s Walk for Animals.
Howard Yune, Register
Napa Humane’s Walk for Animals 2022
Playful costumes and outfits are one of the traditions of Napa Humane’s Walk for Animals, which on Sunday returned to an in-person event for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Courtesy of Seymour & McIntosh
Napa Humane’s Walk for Animals 2022
Mishti, a 6-year-old golden doodle, and her brother Bung from the same litter were among the numerous dogs to accompany their human companions Sunday morning as Napa Humane staged its first in-person Walk for Animals fundraiser since 2019.
Howard Yune, Register
Napa Humane’s Walk for Animals 2022
Contests of canine agility and skill were among the attractions Sunday morning at the Oxbow Commons, during a festival that followed Napa Humane’s fundraising Walk for Animals.
Courtesy of Seymour & McIntosh
Napa Humane’s Walk for Animals 2022
Dogs and humans taking part in Sunday’s Walk for Animals followed a curving path out of the Oxbow Commons, then crossed the First Street bridge into downtown Napa before returning to the Commons, which hosted a pet festival following the walk.
Howard Yune, Register
Napa Humane’s Walk for Animals 2022
Tom Fuller (right), master of ceremonies at Sunday’s Walk for Animals festival, interviewed a costumed dog owner at the Oxbow Commons following a procession from the park through downtown Napa and back again.
Courtesy of Seymour & McIntosh
Napa Humane’s Walk for Animals 2022
The Oxbow Commons was the starting and ending point for a 1.4-mile circuit followed by an assortment of dogs and about 350 of their two-legged friends during Napa Humane’s Walk for Animals Sunday morning.
Courtesy of Seymour & McIntosh
You can reach Howard Yune at 530-763-2266 or [email protected]
