Four-legged friends farewell event that's supported animals in the Illawarra for decades

Illawarra’s four-legged friends are expected to come out in force for one final lap at this year’s RSPCA Million Paws Walk, with the event being held for the last time in the region after more than three decades.

Alexie Bull is actually allergic to dogs, but that hasn’t stopped her being at the forefront of the event for almost 20 years.

What started as a search for a family pet quickly turned into a decades-long passion project.

“When my daughter, who’s nearly 25 now, was younger, we were looking around at animals,” Alexie said. “And I have always been interested in animal welfare and I work in events and public relations professionally and so I approached the RSPCA and said can I help you?

“It was also to surround my daughter who was little at the time with lots of dogs.

“And that of course led to her animal habit really and we’ve now had various dogs, a budgie and a horse.”

Alexie helped the event grow into the second largest Million Paws Walk in the state, with pet owners and animal lovers from across the Illawarra making an extra effort to support man’s best friend.

With lookalike contests, entertainment, auctions and doggy dress-ups, Alexie said having hundreds of dogs take over the Lake Illawarra foreshore was just ‘hilarious’ and a ‘hoot’.

“It’s just a laugh, these dogs have so much personality,” she said.

“It’s just such positive energy – everyone wants to talk about their animals and there’s so much love in the room and everyone is really smiling on that day.”

While canines are the core attendees, a few trotters have also taken to the track in previous years.

“There’s oodles of oodles, we all love oodles,” Alexie said. “But we had a ferret one year and we had a pig for a couple of years.

“It might be the Million Paws Walk but we didn’t send them home as long as they’re harnessed correctly and cared for correctly.”

But the event is so much more than just energy and excitement, with more than half a million dollars having been raised to help sustain important animal welfare services within the region.

“All the money raised locally stays local which is really great to see and I think is something that really appeals to people,” she said.

“They can pop along to the Unanderra shelter and it’s all gone to support programs, equipment, facilities and helping the RSPCA inspectors and facility itself to do all the work it needs to do.”

Now the RSPCA has made the ‘ruff’ decision to stop holding the event beyond 2025.

“It is sad; it is the end of a chapter,” Alexie said. “But you need to evolve and let’s find something else so we can continue to get great support from the community.”

Despite the walk coming to an end, the need for support is not slowing down.

“Unfortunately the job of the RSPCA keeps on going,” Alexie said.

“They need that money for various programs; they’ve developed a meet and greet area for people looking to adopt dogs so there’s an environment and play area for dogs.

“There’s also another program they support called ‘Safe Beds for Pets’ so that’s helping people who are in domestic violence situations that need support with their pets while they’re leaving a situation and getting set up.”

The Illawarra’s RSPCA branch continues to hold barbecue fundraisers at local Bunnings and cupcake days, and are currently putting their heads together to find innovative ways to continue to raise the money needed to deliver vital services.

But for now, Alexie is just hoping that the 2025 RSPCA Million Paws Walk will be the biggest yet.

“I’d like to see a thousand dogs and 2000 people, or 2000 dogs and a thousand people; it would be great.”

The walk starts at Reddall Reserve at Lake Illawarra 9 am on Sunday 25 May.

Registration is available through the RSPCA Million Paws Walk website or in-person on the day of the event.