Gwinnett Daily Post

SUWANEE -- Runners, the Georgia SPCA needs you this weekend.

The nonprofit is hosting its third annual Run of the Rescues 5K, fun run and festival in Suwanee on Saturday to benefit the dogs and cats.

The fun run starts at 8:30 a.m. and the 5K begins at 9:15 a.m. For this race, participants are encouraged to bring their leashed dogs to "strut their mutt."

The 5K route has several turns through Suwanee. It begins on Main Street in front of Evergreen Presbyterian Church, turns right on Scales Road, then right on Brushy Ridge, left on Brushy Creek and right on Eva Kennedy. At the two mile mark, runners make a left on Stonecypher Road, right on Suwanee Dam Road and right back on Main Street. The race ends in front of the library.

Competitors who sign up early receive a Run for the Rescues T-shirt and bag. Awards will be given out after the races for the top runners in both men's and women's categories and age groups. The top three dogs to cross the 5K finish line also get some goodies. Bandanas are given to all dogs participating.

Those who aren't avid runners can still join the fun. This year, there is a festival from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. celebrating all things animal. There are inflatables, food, arts and crafts, and vendors on site.

During the day, the public can watch live demonstrations, such as Smart Critters' frisbee and training demos, and pet contests.

Need a new member of the family? Several of the organization's animals will be at the festival, ready for adoption. Some other rescue groups will also have critters available for adoption and will have their own policies for the process.

Proceeds from the race go toward funding the operations of the Georgia SPCA in Suwanee. The Georgia SPCA is a nonprofit pet rescue organization whose missions is "to reduce the number of healthy animals euthanized in the state of Georgia by implementing successful adoption programs, offering low cost spay/neuter services to the public and promoting responsible pet ownership."

For more information about Georgia SPCA, visit www.georgiaspca.org.