Champaign County Humane Society is back with our annual competition to see who will be TOP DOG!

This community tradition is one of our most important fundraising events, and it concludes at Mutt Strut, a fun day in the park that hundreds of dogs and their owners have enjoyed over the years. Whether you want to help us meet our fundraising goals, or just want to hang out with a lot of dogs, you'll be supporting CCHS by attending this year's Mutt Strut.

I want to be a Top Dog!

(All animals welcome to apply)

Please take this opportunity to let your friends and family know that you support CCHS by asking them to make your pet the TOP DOG! Help us keep animals in our community healthy, housed, and looking for homes by asking for contributions to support all of our daily operations. Whether your friends can give $5, $15, or $50, we are grateful for their support, and yours.

Your participation is crucial:

We cannot make a difference in the lives of animals without your support. CCHS is not funded by any local, state, county, or federal government entity, nor any national humane organization. Instead, we rely solely on donations from generous businesses and individuals in our community – like you!

We are the only open-admission animal shelter and adoption program in our area. We accept ALL owner-relinquished companion animals, regardless of age, physical condition, or suitability for adoption. Help us be the solution for local pet owners, whether growing their family or relinquishing a pet.

Plus, there are some pretty great prizes:

Raise $50+: One Mutt Strut T-Shirt, one event goody bag
Raise $200+: Two Mutt Strut T Shirts, one event goody bag, pet's image and thank you on CCHS social media
Raise $500+: One Mutt Strut T-Shirt, one Mutt Strut Hooded Sweatshirt, one "Leaders of the Pack" deluxe doggie swag bag, tagged pet's image and thank you on CCHS social media
TOP DOG 2023: our fundraiser with the highest dollar amount will be featured on a limited-edition Triptych Beer label, and lead the Mutt Strut walk. They'll also receive two Mutt Strut T-Shirts, two Mutt Strut hooded sweatshirts, embroidered Top Dog 2022 patch, one "Leaders of the Pack" deluxe doggie swag bag, One ticket to October 2023's Fur Ball, $75 in "auction bucks" for use at Fur Ball 2023
Mr. or Ms. Popularity: the pet and owner who attracts the largest number of individual donors will win the prizes at their fundraising level and: pet's image featured in the next issue of Paw Prints magazine, embroidered Mr. or Ms. Popularity 2023 patch, one "Leaders of the Pack" deluxe doggy swag bag regardless of final amount raised. Top Dog will not be eligible to also win Mr. or Ms. Popularity.

Top Dog 2023 will be announced at the start of Mutt Strut at Crystal Lake Park in Urbana on Saturday, May 6, 2023. The Top Dog will lead the group in the walk around the park AND be featured on Triptych’s Limited Edition fall brew. The deadline for fundraising is FRIDAY, MAY 5, at 11:59 PM, CST. Any pet is welcome to compete for Top Dog – in fact last year’s runner up was a cat!

To get started, navigate to our “Team Members” at the top of the page, and let us know you “Wanna be Top Dog!”. Please keep in mind that you will also have to register to “Attend” the Mutt Strut event on May 6, 2023. Once you have registered to fundraise, you are able to credit your ticket purchases to your Top Dog fundraiser during checkout to get a head start on fundraising.

I want to attend Mutt Strut!

Mutt Strut is the finale event to our Top Dog season, and it’s a celebration of all things DOG! Please join us on May 6, 2023 to:

Announce 2023’s TOP DOG fundraiser
Enjoy dog-friendly games and activities
Compete in dog contests with prizes
Walk in the park with the CCHS community
Picnic with your dog at local food trucks
Enjoy some Triptych brew!

Click Attend or Donate at the top of this page to purchase your tickets to attend! During checkout, you can even credit your ticket purchase to a Top Dog competitor to help them meet their goals. Or your own, if you're also competing for Top Dog! Please be aware that this is a dog-friendly event, but not all pets will be suitable to attend. Please consider your dog's health, temperament, and ability to handle crowds of people and other dogs! We would love to see you there, safely!

Check our Mutt Strut FAQ for more information about attending the event!

I’m here to donate to a Top Dog!

Amazing! Your gift will not only support your friend, but it will also support animals all throughout Champaign County. Thank you!

Navigate to our “Team Members” at the top of the page and select the pet you’d like to vote for.
With your TOP DOG selected, click “Attend or Donate” to open up the payment window.
Consider joining us at the Mutt Strut event if you’d like to celebrate the TOP DOG you’re voting for! You can credit any team member while purchasing tickets to donate to their campaign. But if you can’t join us:
At the bottom of the window, you’ll see “No thanks, I’d just like to Donate”. Click through!
Confirm the amount you’d like to donate and verify that your TOP DOG is listed as your credited team member! If not, you’ll see a “Search” bar to find them there.

Before finalizing, you can add a message or a photo to encourage your TOP DOG and their owners to keep going! You'll also receive an automatic copy of your donation receipt for tax purposes.

If you have any questions or would like assistance with signing up, please reach out to Elizabeth@cuhumane.org

Mutt Strut is generously sponsored by:

Platinum Paw Sponsors: Colorfil, Simplified Computers, Serra Subaru Champaign, and Triptych Brewing

Gold Paw Sponsors: Hickory Point Bank, Loving Paws Pet Clinic

Silver Paw Sponsors: CIBM Bank, Ruff Dayz Mahomet

Friends of Mutt Strut: Animal Hospital at the Crossing, Scrappy Lamberson