Building on the growing success of a long running community event and Purdue Veterinary Conference tradition, organizers of the 2024 Dr. Skip Jackson Dog Jog are excited to announce that registration is open for this year’s run/walk, which will take place the morning of Saturday, September 21. The popular event serves as a fitting conclusion to the College of Veterinary Medicine’s annual continuing education conference for veterinarians and veterianry nurses. All proceeds from the race will be donated to Priority 4 Paws, a PVM shelter medicine program providing high-quality medical and surgical care for shelter animals while educating the next generation of veterinarians.
Open to the public, the 5K run/walk for humans and their canine companions starts and ends at Lynn Hall, and follows a route that winds past landmarks and scenice areas on the south side of the Purdue campus. After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual Dr. Skip Jackson Dog Jog came back strong in 2022 and 2023. The races were a huge success, raising a total of more than $7,000 for Priority 4 Paws and the PetSafe program. This year, the dog jog committee is working hard to continue to expand the option for participants to run with adoptable shelter dogs, working with local shelters in the Lafayette area and beyond to spread awareness of animal shelters to the community.
To better accommodate all who would like to participate, there will be multiple registration options for the event this year:
- Individual – $30
- Individual & canine companion – $35
- Individual and child participant – $35
- Additional child participant (14 years and younger) – $5
- Additional canine companion – $5
Runners of all ages are encouraged to join in the fun to celebrate Dr. Skip Jackson’s legacy and carry on this beloved college tradition. Dr. Jackson was Professor Emeritus of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry. One of the college’s founding faculty members, he was known as a fitness enthusiast and started a jogging tradition with his students in 1973 that became the annual event named in his honor.
Click here to register your spot in the race. Those who register by September 4 will be able to receive a race t-shirt. Registration will remain open after September 4 and day-of registration will be available as well, but race t-shirts may not be available in those instances.
Click here to learn more about the race and about becoming a sponsor.
For those who are unable to participate or want to further celebrate the legacy of Dr. Jackson, there also is an option to donate to the named race endowment fund, which was created by Dr. Jackson’s family to perpetually fund this honored tradition in his memory. Dr. Jackson passed away in 2022 at the age of 99. Click here to donate to the Dr. Skip Jackson Dog Jog and Fun Run Endowment.