10’s across the board for K9 Katwalk
Taking a look at the Midland County Pitstop’s 2026 K9 Katwalk fundraiser
By Emma Brown and Grace McCarthy
MIDLAND, Mich.- The Midland County Pitstop, an in-home care foster-based rescue, held its annual K9 Katwalk fundraiser on Saturday, Sept. 12 at the Midland Curling Center. Dog owners came together from across the community to raise money for the organization through food, games, raffles and a costume contest.
The Katwalk featured tables of fairground-style games to entertain guests before the events. There was also music and various food trucks, though the costume contest was the highlight of the night.
When the raffle began, community members circled around to show support and to donate what they could to the organization. The raffle featured pet supplies and services, such as food, litter and flea and tick medication. All funds raised went to the Pit Stop.
Emotions were strong as volunteers shared stories about the different animals they’ve helped. Then, they celebrated those volunteers for their kindness and patience with rounds of applause.
When speaking with President of Midland County Pitstop Gwen Drake regarding the start of the organization, she admitted there were some humble beginnings. The Pit Stop was initially run from her personal store. In the past, foster volunteers would reach out underneath Facebook posts that were looking to rehome animals.
Drake proudly shared that the Pit Stop is already at 187 rescues for this year. “That’s pretty high for September,” Drake said. “We usually do around 200 a year.”
The high number of rescues is no surprise, considering the organization has begun to spread across the state. The Pit Stop now performs rescues in Detroit and Grand Rapids areas nearly as often as around the Tri-Cities.
With many rescues, comes many adoptions. The Midland County Pit Stop takes the adoption process of their animals very seriously.
“We want to meet the whole family, want to meet your pets,” Drake said. “We like you to take us through your home so we can see how our dog or cat is going to live.”
The Midland County Pitstop functions because of caring people. It is clear to see how much they adore these animals and truly want the best for them.
After speaking with Drake, the K9 Katwalk costume contest began, bringing a smile to everyone in the room. Costumes ranged from a grunge biker-dog to a lovebug. A mermaid and her security squad were also spotted strutting down the runway. Those watching could vote for their favorite pooch after the contest was over.
After reaching back out to Drake and the Midland County Pit Stop crew, we learned that they were unable to reach their fundraising goal. However, Drake mentioned how grateful they were to have raised nearly $6,000 in funds for the animals.
“We did not make our goal, but our theory is that every penny counts and we always want to be good stewards with donor funds,” Drake said.
Although the Midland County Pit Stop didn’t reach their fundraising goal at this year’s K9 Katwalk, the dogs and volunteers reached the hearts of the community. People came together to support a cause they believed in and donated for the greater good of the animals.