MIDDLEBURY – Animals For Life will celebrate its 10th Anniversary by hosting the fourth annual Run For Rescue, Go Dog Go! Road Race on Saturday, April 29 at Lake Quassapaug Amusement Park in Middlebury.

This race has quickly become one of the organizations largest fundraisers, and this year provides runners with an exciting new venue, a 5K race, and computer timings. In addition to the race, the celebration also includes an afternoon of pet related demonstrations and festivities that are being held concurrently with Quassy’s 98th season opening.

There will be a dog and cat adoption, several canine obedience demonstrations, agility, and demonstrations by area police canine teams as well as by the Newtown Search and Rescue dogs.

This is the first year that the AFL Run For Rescue is being made possible by the “top dog” sponsorship of WESI Consulting, an environmental consulting firm from South Carolina with ties to the Northeast.

The Run For Rescue will be comprised of two separate road races as well as a two mile fitness walk. The festivities kick off at 11 am with a 5K race for human participants only. At 11:30 am, runners will line up with their canine companions for a two-mile race.

Last but not least, at 12 noon, walkers will head out for a two-mile fitness walk. Dogs are invited to run in the two-mile race only, or to accompany their owners in the fitness walk. Prizes will be awarded to the top finishers of each race, with the awards ceremony expected to begin at 12:45 pm.

All participants in the Run For Rescue will receive a race package filled with fun gifts and treats. Pre-registered humans will receive a custom logo t-shirt, and all canine participants will receive custom logo bandanas and special doggie gifts. Refreshments will be provided to all human and canine participants at the conclusion of their events, and canine visitors will be invited to chow down on a freshly baked all-natural birthday cake provided by Woodbury Pet Commons.

For more information, visit www.animalsforlifect.org. Online registration is available at www.active.com. Registration is limited to three hundred participants. Race day registration begins at 9 am.

The celebration will continue until 3 pm and features food concession, dog and cat adoptions and several obedience and police K-9 demonstrations throughout the afternoon. Police K-9 teams from both Newtown and Middlebury will be on hand to discuss the roles of their working dogs and to provide demonstrations using human decoys.

Bloodhounds and their partners from Newtown Search and Rescue will also be showcasing their skills for the public to enjoy. The handlers and their dogs are expected to be on-hand beginning at 11:30 am, with the demonstrations taking place several times throughout the afternoon.

All proceeds from the road race, food concession, bake sale, and related activities go directly to support the life-saving work of Animals For Life.