Give 5: Goodness Gracious Run for Rescue [PHOTO GALLERY]

Saturday, Nov. 5, runners and their pooches ran a 5 or 10k starting from to benefit Goodness Gracious Run for Rescue.

Goodness Gracious, based in Marblehead, makes human-grade dog treats and donates 51 percent of its profits to community shelters and rescues in towns where its treats are sold. All the net proceeds from their to-be annual run/walk go to benefit local no-kill non-profit animal rescues and shelters. The organization chose Winslow Farm as their first run location.

When we first arrived, Achilles was excited to meet the other dogs and sniff and pee on every patch of grass he could find. You see, my dog, though a Portuguese Hunting Dog, is more of a lover than a hunter. The only thing he hunts is kibble. So even if a dog wants to use him as a chew toy, Achilles must try and make friends with him. But we got our game faces on. I stretched my limbs, and Achilles was treated to a massage by Shannon Ribeiro of Pawsitive Energy Animal Massage (something I was a bit jealous about).

As an animal lover, I am in full support of this cause, and was happy to "run" for it. I put run in quotation marks because this was my first road race, and a 10k at that. And though Achilles is full of energy, he had a hard time with the second half as well. In fact, I had to practically drag him to the finish line by the last mile. Needless to say, we were almost the last ones to cross the finish line. 

Achilles was more than happy for the race to be over, so he could mingle with the other dogs once again. And he was even more psyched to dig into the free treats they handed out once we got home before he passed out in his bed.

The ingredients include proteins like USDA certified, grade A USA chicken and beef, grass-fed lamb, free-range, sustainably-raised turkey and wild salmon from Alaska and Canada. According to their website, recipes never have any garlic or added salt – which are toxic for dogs. They are wheat, corn and soy free, and except for a touch of wholesome raw unprocessed honey in our Poached Salmon treats, there are no added sugars. There are also no artificial flavors, colors, preservatives or additives. But Achilles certainly did not realize they were healthy, as a few went down the hatch barely chewed.

To donate to Goodness Gracious and get some treats for your dog, visit their website.