Walk for Wags: Phenom People Has Gone to the Dogs!

It’s no secret that here at Phenom People, we have a pretty cool company culture and a super modern office. On top of that, we have lots of great benefits such as wellness reimbursement, unlimited vacation days, and free lunch on Fridays.

We also have a large community of dog lovers. Every year our philanthropic team, Phenom Cares, has hosted a donation drive for our furry friends at the Montgomery County SPCA. (We even have an entire Slack channel dedicated for our pet parents and their beloved pups!)

This year, I wanted to take it up a notch.

Along with some other dog moms and dads, we crafted an event where both Phenoms and their pooches would have a dog-gone good time. Thus, “Walk for Wags” was born.

We decided to hold our first annual Walk for Wags event on June 21. Participants would donate to walk a 5K, receive a custom bandana, and bring their dogs into the office. All proceeds would benefit the Montgomery County SPCA.

Pilgrim and Hope, who were rescued by Brittany Bentz

In the weeks leading up to our event, we held a donation collection for SPCA in-demand items, along with a raffle for one lucky dog to win their dream basket filled with treats and toys galore.

Jena Hunsberger with our donation box!

Before we knew it, Walk for Wags was upon us—and it was a PAWesome event! With roughly 25 Phenom Pups in our office, there were smiles booming and tails wagging around every corner. Morale and employee engagement was at an all-time high!

At 3:00pm, all participating Phenoms, both with or without a pup in tow, set off to start their “5K”...

But we are almost officially in the dog days of summer, so neither humans nor pups were much interested in completing the originally planned 4 laps around our local park.

Our 5K quickly turned into one lap around the park, and we headed back to the office lawn for a well-deserved Yappy Hour! Everyone winded down their work week with human and pup treats, drinks, an intense game of fetch—and of course, a dog-themed playlist in the background.

Jess Rhein won the prize!

Doing More for Dogs in Need with Phenom Cares

According to ASPCA.org, approximately 6.5 million companion animals enter U.S. animal shelters nationwide every year. Of those, approximately 3.3 million are dogs and 3.2 million are cats. Our philanthropy program, Phenom Cares, raised over $600 along with an overflowing box of in-demand items for the Montgomery County SPCA.

When we dropped off our items to the shelter, we took a walk through to meet the residents. The kennels were lined with young, pure-breed pups working their best puppy dog eyes. If you are considering welcoming a four-legged friend into your family, please make the first stop to your local shelter.

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For more information on adoptable animals with our friends at the Montgomery County SPCA, please visit https://www.montgomerycountyspca.org.

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I am now working with our leadership to host “Furry Friend Fridays,” where Phenoms can donate to the Montgomery County SPCA to bring their pup to work. We are also working to partner with the shelter to volunteer for walking, bathing, and helping these pups find their FURever homes.

Lastly, we will continue to grow our annual Walk for Wags event, and even host an adoption event so our furry friends can get a new leash on life!