Pooch and Pal 2026 will be one to remember! This year, Pooch and Pal raised more than $6,000 for Pet OverPopulation Prevention!
The race took place at Columbia Point Marina Park in Richland. While the wind brought a slight chill, it was a beautiful morning along the riverfront. The run/walk went from the boat-launch side of the park all the way down to the start of Howard Amon Park for a turn-around. Rik Mikals, POPP’s Board President, served as Pooch and Pal’s official MC – playing music and making announcements.
POPP hosted a $20 microchipping pop-up clinic at the event, giving dog owners an affordable way to be reunited with their pets in case they ever got lost.
The costume contest was a big hit. This year’s theme was “Zoom and Bloom,” a garden theme. There were garden fairies, a beekeeper and their bees, butterflies, flower gardens, and more. The contest was judged by a group of HAPO volunteers. While there could be only three individual winners and one group winner, everyone looked fabulous!
The first to finish was a young man, who apparently had just taken up running! What an exciting way to launch his running career.
Finally, we want to extend a heartfelt “thank you” to everyone involved in this year’s Pooch and Pal. Thank you to our incredible sponsors, including our “Top-Dog” sponsor Meier Architecture • Engineering, whose sponsorship was completely funded by generous donations from their employees. Thank you to our vendors, who make this event exciting and even more fun. Thank you to our volunteers for taking time out of their day to come and help raise money for a good cause.
And of course, thank you to all our participants: Pooch and Pal could never happen without you!
We can’t wait to see what next year’s Pooch and Pal will hold!