Stricker wins 8th annual Furry Friends 5k

By Chris Spangler

Jefferson’s Ben Stricker crossed the finish line first in the eighth annual Furry Friends 5k race, held Saturday morning to benefit the Humane Society of Jefferson County.

The dog-friendly event at Jefferson County Fair Park drew 398 runners and walkers, many accompanied by their canine companions, as well as many spectators.

Stricker, a 15-year-old Fort Atkinson High School freshman, was the overall winner, running the 5k in 17:27.9 with a pace of 5:38 minutes per mile. 

Coming in second overall was Alecsandra Weinbrenner, 14, of Jefferson, with a time of 23:45.6, while Turner Wentzein, 27, Cedarburg, came in third overall with a time of 24:44.1. 

The category winners were, in order of placing:

Males 12 and under: Tucker Romagna, Lake Mills, 34:04.6; Orion Donnellan, Jefferson, 43:38; and Hunter Ray Van Viegen, Madison, 49:55.4.

Females 12 and under: Jenna Mickelson, Janesville, 28:50.3; Alex Moore, Fort Atkinson, 35:31.8; and Abigail Strese, Fort Atkinson, 36:16.7.

Males 13-17: Ben Stricker, Jefferson, 17:27.9; Jackson Moore, Fort Atkinson, 25:56; and Dawson Dregne, De Forest, 35:15.3. 

Females 13-17: Alecsandra Weinbrenner, Jefferson, 23:45.6; Lydia Smith, Fort Atkinson, 30:04.4; and Savannah Overhouse, Waterloo, 31:59.8.

Males 18 and up: Turner Wentzien, Cedarburg, 24:44.1; Kerry Worden, Hartford, 24:50.9; and Brian Runde, Jefferson, 25:19.1.

Females 18 and up: Megan Lundy, Jefferson, 25:14.3; Kristal Gerbick, Sun Prairie, 26:31.8; and Ana Graese-Caballero, Middleton, 27:55.6.

The “top dogs” racing were those owned by Dennis Ruehl, Johnson Creek, 26:11.2; Worden; and Gerbick.

For all runners’ results, visit https://results.itsracetime.com/results.aspx CId=17095&RId=839&EId=1&dt=0&adv=0.

Meanwhile, the guest of honor at the Jefferson event was “Lamb Chop,” a 12-year-old Maltese who, in October 2020, was crowned “World’s Cutest Rescue Dog” contest winner by People magazine. After nearly two weeks of voting, readers chose Lamb Chop from some 10,000 canine competitors. 

Owned by Christin Schubert of Wauwatosa, Lamb Chop was adopted from the Washington County Humane Society in Slinger. Lamb Chop had spent more than six years in a puppy mill, likely giving birth to multiple litters, before being rescued. 

All her teeth were rotten and had to be removed, she was treated for cauliflower ear and had to have several tumors that had grown due to medical neglect removed. Formerly very shy, Lamp Chop successfully worked with a trainer to learn to trust humans. Since then, medical issues led to Lamb Chop becoming both deaf and blind, but that doesn’t stop the little dog whatsoever.

Schubert and Lamb Chop have become very active in Bailing Out Benji, an organization dedicated to exposing the potential connection between puppy mills and pet stores. On Saturday, they introduced themselves prior to the 5k and then were on hand at a booth to talk with interested people about their work.

Also at the Bailing Out Benji booth were Peggy Race, a Palmyra native, author, advocate and educator about rescue animals, and Paula Brown of Fort Atkinson. 

Brown was instrumental in advancing the new municipal ordinance to slow the large-scale commercial breeding of animals by prohibiting the sale of cats, dogs and rabbits in retail stores within the city of Fort Atkinson. 

In addition to the run/walk, booths and doggie pools, the Furry Friends 5k featured a speed running lure chase, a dog agility course and rescue lizards and snakes from Archie’s Angels, a herpetological rescue group from Green Bay.

The Humane Society of Jefferson County has been serving the community since 1922. It provides life-saving services for abandoned, stray, and surrendered animals, as well as a wide range of community animal services and humane education. Each year, the shelter helps save, serve and provide forever homes to more than 1,000 animals in need.