The Fast and the Furriest®
Everyone’s favorite pet event will take place on Saturday, June 14th, 2025!
Join us for the 19th annual The Fast & The Furriest® event that will feature a 10K & 5K race, dog walk, free vaccination clinic, and pet festival!
New this year, the Furry Scurry 1K Kids Race. The pet festival will include live music, food trucks, sponsor giveaways, vendors, pet contests, local pet organizations, and a variety of activities for you, your family, and your pets. Come out and help us celebrate our love of animals and our city.
How can you be involved this year?
- Participate in the 5K or 10K in person or virtually
- Sign your child up for the 1K Kids Race!
- Participate in the dog walk in person or virtually
- Attend the in-person Pet Festival on Saturday, June 14th at Brown Square Park
- Enter your pet into the pet contests
- Bring your dog to the vaccination clinic, which includes rabies and DAPP vaccines and microchipping. This is first come, first serve.
- Create a fundraiser when registering for the event and help raise money for pets in need in your community! Ask your friends and family to support a cause you are passionate about and contribute to your fundraiser.
Event Details
The event is located at Brown Square Park, which is right across the street from Rochester Animal Services, 184 Verona Street, Rochester NY 14608. There is free parking (although donations are appreciated) in the Kodak / Carestream Lot D on the corner of Brown Street and Verona Street, with access from Oak Street.
Note: There will be road closures in the Brown Square Park Area and along the Race Routes. Be sure to review the road closures and if necessary, the alternate routes into the parking area.
Event Timeline
- 7:00 am 5K, 10K and Kids Race Registration Opens
- 8:00 am 10K Race Start on Verona Street
- 8:15 am 5K Race Start on Verona Street
- 8:30 am Dog Walk Registration Opens and Pet Festival Begins
- 9:00 am Shelter opens, Vaccination Clinic opens and Silent Auction begins
- 9:45 am 1K Kids Race begins
- 10:15 am Adoptable Dog Showcase Begins
- 10:30 am Dog Walk begins in park
- 11:30 am Pet contests at stage
- 12:30 pm Silent Auction Ends
- 1:00 pm Vaccination Clinic Closes & Event Ends
Race Information
Join us for either the 5K or 10K distance through the picturesque City of Rochester and scenic route along the Genesee River! The 10K begins at 8 a.m. and the 5K shortly after at 8:15 a.m.
NEW THIS YEAR: The Furry Scurry 1K Kids Route, which is a quick route around the block back to the park and kicks off at 10 am. The dog walk is a crowd favorite and a one-mile stroll through downtown Rochester near the shelter that begins at 10:30 am.
Packet pick-up will take place on Friday, June 13th at Fleet Feet the Armory location (155 Culver Rd) from 10am – 6pm and Saturday, June 14th at the event from 7 am – 10:30 am (184 Verona St.)
Those who register before May 23rd will be guaranteed a t-shirt. Participants that register after May 23rd are not guaranteed a shirt and may receive a shirt contingent upon availability at the time of packet pick-up.
Can’t make it in person? Virtual options are available for the 5K, 10K, and dog walk! Participants will be mailed their items post-event.
Refund policy: This race and walk does not offer any refunds for participants who register and do not run or walk in the event.
Race Awards
For the 10K: Overall top three male and female will receive a store voucher to Fleet Feet. Overall Masters male and female will receive a store voucher to Fleet Feet. Additional store vouchers to Fleet Feet will be given to 1st – 3rd in each age group.
For the 5K: The overall male and female will receive a store voucher for Fleet Feet. Overall Masters male and female will receive a store voucher for Fleet Feet. Additional store vouchers to Fleet Feet will be given to 1st – 3rd in each age group.
Age groups: 19 and under, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+
Fundraising
Fundraising is Important! Please consider Fundraising for VSAS through this event. It’s easy and you can win some great prizes! While going through the registration process make sure to set up your individual and/or team fundraising page and help increase our impact in serving people and animals in our community.
Personalize the page with your own story, link it with Facebook Fundraising, and set your own personal goal. Learn more about setting up a fundraiser and other tools and tricks here.
Why is your paw-ticipation so important?
By supporting Verona Street Animal Society and Rochester Animal Services, you are helping animals get the second chance they deserve. Just your registration for this event will spay/neuter a male cat or feed a cat for one month. Think of the impact an additional donation would have! All funds raised through The Fast & The Furriest® event directly impact the animals in our community by:
- Providing food, shelter, enrichment, and medical care at the shelter
- Promoting adoption, lost and found, and spay/neuter programs
- Supporting under-served communities by providing access to pet resources
***All participants are encouraged to fundraise individually or as a team! A team can be composed of walkers, runners, non-participant fundraisers or any combination thereof.
Can’t make it to this year’s event, but want to help the shelter animals? You can still become an online fundraiser! For more information on how to set up your fundraiser and tips and tricks to reach your goal visit here!
Volunteer Opportunities
Everyday volunteers make a world of difference for Rochester Animal Services. We need a lot of help to make this event a fun and successful time for everyone involved. We need everything from parking attendants to race marshals.
Please sign up to choose your hours and volunteer activities for this year’s event. If you have questions regarding volunteering, please get in touch with Maggie at maggie@vsas.org.
Vendor Opportunities
Interested in vending at the event and being in front of a large pet audience?
Learn more and apply to be a vendor here
Corporate Sponsorship & Vendor Opportunities
By sponsoring The Fast & The Furriest®, your business can heighten its corporate image, show community support, and increase brand awareness while reaching concerned and committed participants from the Greater Rochester area. Your support sends a message that your company is a recognized partner in this important community effort that reaches a broad demographic of pet owners who are concerned with the welfare of animals in their community. If you are interested in sponsoring, please contact mary@vsas.org