It was a sunny and beautiful day on Sunday as many dogs and their owners enjoyed a fun-filled day for a great cause. Petland Discounts was once again honored to be the Presenting Sponsor and set-up an are with fun give-aways, goody bags for all the dogs and this year featured a petting zoo with many different animals including a rabbit, ferret, chinchilla, Macaw Parrot, Cockatoo, a snake, Chameleon and a Iguana. All the kids and many dogs really enjoyed seeing and touching all the different animals. Walkers were also able to participate in various raffles provided by Petland Discounts, which raised over $250 for the MS Society.

The day also featured a dog/owner look-alike contest, canine makeovers, Caricature drawings, a large barbecue and great music provide by 102.3 WBAB. Other organizations such as Nutro, Pet Peeves, Suffolk County SPCA, Canine Companions, Bide-A-Wee, K-9 Club, Shelter Connection, Best Paw Forward dog training were on hand to help raise public awareness about the affects of Multiple Sclerosis. This year $50,000 was raised to help MS research. We want to thank all the pooches and their owners for another successful MS Pooch Parade.

Multiple sclerosis is diagnosed in almost 200 people each week and can cause unpredictable symptoms such as blurred vision, loss of balance, poor coordination, slurred speech, tremors, numbness, extreme fatigue, cognitive difficulty, paralysis and even blindness. Since it's founding in 1946, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society has been dedicated to ending the devastating effects of MS. The Society spends money on MS research and serves more people affected by MS than any other national voluntary MS organization in the world. To contact the Society or a Chapter in your area, just call 1-800-FIGHT-MS or log onto www.nationalmssociety.org