As the sun rose over Lynn Hall on the Purdue University campus on a cool, overcast morning, the sidewalk along Harrison Street was crowded with more than 140 runners and some 60 dogs who turned out for the 2022 Dr. Skip Jackson Dog Jog. Energy and warmth spawned by the human and canine participants, as they experienced the benefits of the human-animal bond, pervaded the event, which concluded the 2022 Purdue Veterinary Conference on Saturday, September 24.
As the 8:00 a.m. start time arrived, PVM Dean Willie Reed called the participants together to mark a particularly poignant aspect of this year’s race. “For the first time, something is missing this morning,” Dean Reed explained. “Dr. Skip Jackson is not here. He’s not physically here but I sense his spirit is here – and he’s been a part of this Dog Jog since 1973, when he got it started, jogging with his students. Then it became an annual event, with our conference, held every September.”
Dr. Jackson, professor emeritus of biochemistry and veterinary physiology, passed away just a few days before this year’s race at the age of 99. “Dr. Jackson was one of the founding members of our college,” Dean Reed explained. “He retired in 1992, after many, many years of distinguished service.” Dean Reed recalled when he got to know Dr. Jackson as a fellow Purdue faculty member in 1986. “He was this exercise enthusiast. He kind of led the way with getting people moving. And his life shows the importance of exercise and taking care of one’s body.” At that point, Dean Reed asked for a moment of silence in remembrance of Dr. Jackson. The brief period of quiet reminded everyone of both the loss of a pillar in the life of the college, and the power of his legacy which lives on through the Dog Jog named in his honor.
Then it was on with the race – the first to be held since 2019 because of a pandemic-induced pause in the annual event. Dean Reed fired the starting gun and the participants and their canine companions were off on the course that wound through the southern part of the Purdue campus, from Discovery Park, through the Ag Mall and back to Lynn Hall by way of the new David and Bonnie Brunner Purdue Veterinary Medical Hospital Complex.
After the last of the participants crossed the finish line, awards were given out to the top runners. Christopher Speers and Paul McDonald won prizes as the first two human canine pair winners to complete the course. Luke Benner took the top prize as the first individual male to complete the course and Paige Lundquist was the fastest individual female. Special applause was reserved for members of Dr. Jackson’s family, including his wife Betty, who traversed the course as a group wearing special lime green Dr. Skip Jackson Dog Jog shirts.
The brief awards ceremony concluded the successful and especially meaningful event, which was organized by veterinary students, led by Hannah Wedig and Maxine White of the DVM Class of 2024 and Allison Holahan and Morgan Watkins of the DVM Class of 2025. Not only did the race attract a great turnout, it also raised significant funds for two Purdue Veterinary Medicine programs that support people and pets in the Community. A total of $4,000 was raised for Priority 4 Paws, a shelter medicine program providing surgical services free-of-charge to participating Indiana animal shelters, and PetSafe, a community service offered by the college to meet the short-term housing needs of pets whose owners are temporarily unable to provide care. “We were so excited to have a great turnout to celebrate Dr. Skip Jackson’s legacy and carry on this beloved college tradition,” Allison said. “We are happy to donate all the proceeds to the Pet Safe Program and Priority 4 Paws because they do so much for people in our the community and their pets.”
