The College of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine and pre-vet club hosted the fifth annual Furry 5K fundraising event Saturday, raising funds and awareness with the Ag For Autism non-profit allegiance in Jonesboro.

Participants from Arkansas State University and the Jonesboro community brought their pets to the event, which started with a pet-welcoming expedition. Hand-painted signs and guides were posted all throughout the university campus for the event’s pathway, as runners and walkers alike made their way to the finish line.

One aim of the Furry 5K is to raise money for the pre-professional pre-vet club on campus. The event was free for participants, but t-shirts, dog treats and pup-cups made by the club’s members were sold during the event for club funding. Mickey Latour, dean of the College of Agriculture said the event has evolved throughout the years. 

“When we first started doing the activity, we were just doing it for fun, we didn’t collect any money,” Latour said. “Two, three years ago, we partnered with Ag For Autism, so now it’s not only to come and have fun with bringing your dog and going for a walk, but it’s to create awareness about autism as well.”

Abby Cooper, a sophomore Animal Science, pre-vet major from Glenrose, Arkansas, and president of the pre-vet Club, said she hopes the event brightened everyone’s day.

“Our furry friends are our besties, so we hope to just bring each other together and have a fun day,” Cooper said.

Amber Cisneros, a sophomore animal science, pre-vet major from Hope, Arkansas, and secretary of the A-State pre-vet club, said partnering with the college of veterinary medicine this year was important.

“The path itself will be passing through the A-State vet school, so runners will be able to see the progress on it,” Cisneros said. “The Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, Heidi Banse, and her co-workers are going to be there promoting the College of Veterinary Medicine, since it’s such a big part of the Animal Science and A-State pre-vet community.”

On their Instagram, the College of Agriculture said the event continues to be a great example of community outreach and student engagement.  

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