Hundreds of Dogs and Owners Take Part in a Fun Run in Manila

About a thousand pet lovers and their dogs took part in a fun run in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Fun run participant Charlotte Lacsamana said this was a good opportunity for dogs to be around one another and to stay fit. "We ran here today so our furbabies can be exposed to other dogs ... and for us to get some exercise," she said. The dog owners and their "furbabies" took their pick of three different routes to run—these ranged from one and a half, three and five kilometers. Event organizer Janine Ngo said most of the dogs are usually stuck at home and that the fun run "is a good way for them to meet other dogs, to be able to interact with other dogs because it's healthy. Dogs are [sic] innately, innately go in packs." Some pairs pounded the pavement all the way to the finish line, but a lot of dogs had their owners carry them to the finish line. The winning team was an army soldier, and his three-year-old labrador, who apparently also had some military training. This is the third consecutive year these two nabbed top spot, this time with a time of around 20 minutes, 5 minutes faster than their record. Crisenyano Yaban said the competition was tough, but he and his dog had superior technique. "The competition this year was more intense because our opponents adopted different techniques. This year my dog and I synchronised [our running] while I held his leash. Our opponents didn't do that and only had their dogs following them, so they're using two hands for control, while I only used one." Part of the proceeds from the race will be donated to an animal shelter of the pets' rights group Philippines Animal Welfare Society.