Seacoast Paddle for the Pups Coming Up in Exeter, NH

People and their pups are encouraged to grab a stand-up paddleboard, kayak or canoe and join members of the Seacoast Paddleboard Club as they raise money for the New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Seacoast Paddle for the Pups will be held in-person and virtually on Sunday, Aug. 8. Registration is free and can be completed online in advance or on the day of the event starting at 12 p.m.

People can also donate to the cause online.

The paddle begins at 12:30 p.m., and club members will leave from the Saltonstall Boathouse at Phillips Exeter Academy on Water Street in Exeter.

Paddlers who raise $100 earn a limited-edition event t-shirt.

Paddlers who raise at least $200 qualify for a top individual fundraiser prize from Jetty, Cinnamon Rainbows Surf Co., MTI Life Jackets, Ohana Kitchen and more.

The recreational paddle route is three miles long and follows the Squamscott River.

If people chose to paddle with their dogs this summer, safety experts remind them to wear a life jacket and make sure the dog has one on as well.

A life jacket helps a dog if they go overboard by providing:

- Thermal protection

- Help with buoyancy

- Reduces fatigue

- Provides visibility

- Handle to help lift the dog out of the water

- Provides a secure feeling for the dog

Vermont Paddle Pups has provided the NH SPCA with this video which provides tips and tricks to having a fun experience on the water.

A brief history of the NH SPCA can be found on their website:

"One Hundred and Forty-plus years ago, a group of concerned citizens recognized that work animals were being treated inhumanely and unjustly. Following in the footsteps the New Hampshire State Legislature which enacted humane laws to protect 'dumb animals,' the Portsmouth Society to Prevent Cruelty to Animals was formed in 1872.

The organization was incorporated and the following year the name was changed to the New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals—one of the first ten such societies established in the United States."

The NH SPCA in Stratham is located on Portsmouth Avenue and people can make donations to help homeless pets and aid in the advocacy for animals by making an appointment.

Contact Managing News Editor Kimberley Haas at Kimberley.Haas@townsquaremedia.com.