Walk & Wag for One Health

🐾 Event Overview

Louisiana One Health in Action is excited to announce the 6th annual Walk & Wag for One Health 5K Race, 3k Fun Run, and One Health Fair. The event will be held at The Grove at Heritage Square in Sulphur on November 1, 2025 in celebration of the International One Health Day. The 5K will be a timed competitive race for people only, and the 3k Fun Run will be open to both people and their dogs to celebrate One Health Day together! It is an effort to highlight the human/animal bond and to raise awareness of One Health - the interrelationship of Human, Animal, and Environmental Health. In addition to the 5K race and 3K fun run, the day will be filled with a variety of ways to have fun and learn about One Health while celebrating the human and animal bond.

🎉 Activities for Everyone

Participants will have fun learning about One Health and One Health topics at the Kids Zone, Dog Zone, and Educational Zone.

• Kids Zone: Inflatable activity, animal face painting, hands-on educational activities, pansy planting, and various fun activities.
• Dog Zone: Smooch Your Pooch photo booth, best dog trick contest, best dog costume contest, meeting Dr. Dog's therapy dogs, and dog adoptions through Calcasieu Parish Animal Control.
• Educational Zone: Covering Zoonotic & Vector-borne Disease awareness, proper tick removal techniques, vaccine importance, mental health benefits of nature, environmental health connections, chronic disease prevention, and wildlife conservation efforts.
• Door Prizes: Quizzes from the educational zone will be submitted for door prize drawings.

💉 Blood Drive Opportunity

LifeShare will also be set up for a blood drive this day. All blood donations supply our local hospitals right here in SWLA! Learn about the blood bank for dogs as well to see if your dog qualifies to make a donation (handled through Gill Bright, but serves SWLA Vet Clinics).

🐕 Dog Rules - Know Before You Go!

Walk & Wag for One Health is open to humans running/walking with or without dogs. To keep everyone (and every dog) safe, special rules apply for those running with a dog. We strongly suggest that both the owner and dog train for this event if you are planning on running.

• Dog Limit: One (1) dog per person. Dogs must be at least 6 months old.
• Behavior Requirements: Only bring dogs that are well-behaved around other dogs and people.
• Vaccination Proof: Proof of rabies vaccination required (current rabies tag on collar is sufficient).
• Prohibition: Female dogs in any stage of heat are prohibited.
• Leash Rules: Dogs must be on leashes at all times (maximum 6 feet): no retractable leashes.
• Cleanup: You must remove any of your dog’s waste: plastic bags will be provided.

The race director reserves the right to refuse entry or remove a dog from the course if it might prove hazardous to others.

🏃‍♀️ Registration Information

• Registration Fee: $35 (8/21 - 10/5, includes cost of shirt).
• Late Registration: $40 (10/6 - 10/31, does not include cost of shirt).
• Walk-Up Registration: $45 on the day of the event (11/1).

🌍 Virtual Participation

Can't make it in person? Select our virtual race and raise awareness of One Health right in your own neighborhood!

💰 Event Support

Event proceeds support local health education initiatives and advance One Health research at NCSU Intracellular Pathogen lab under the direction of Dr Ed Breitschwerdt, DVM. Find out more about The Bartonella Project.

🦠 Understanding Bartonella

What is Bartonella? Bartonella infection (Bartonellosis, aka Cat Scratch Disease) is one of the most important untold medical stories. Bartonella is a bacteria, but few people know about it. New methods for diagnosing it are showing it’s more common than previously thought. Animals are the primary reservoir and the bacteria is transmitted by an animal bite or scratch, fleas, ticks, lice, mites, biting flies, and even spiders...