About 40 runners and walkers lined up outside the Veterinary Medicine Basic Sciences Building at 8 a.m. Sunday for the start of a 5K race sponsored by Omega Tau Sigma (OTS), the vet school's professional fraternity. About half of the participants brought along their favorite running companions: their dogs.

Proceeds from the 10th annual OTS Road Run will be donated to Canine Companions for Independence, a Chicago-based organization that provides dogs for disabled people, as well as the Wildlife Medical Clinic, a campus organization within the vet med school that rehabilitates or euthanizes injured squirrels, birds and other local wildlife.

"I think people like to have a chance to get out and walk or run with their dog for a good cause," said Lisa Cieply, a second-year vet student. "About half of the people out here are taking it seriously and running for a fast time, the other half are just here for fun and to help the cause."

Second-year vet student Nick Kelsey enjoys seeing people who are loyal to the race come back year after year.

"There are some people here who have probably come to the race every year so far," Kelsey said. "Some of them take an hour and a half to finish, but it's nice to see them come out and have a good time with their dogs."

The race organizers set up water stations to accommodate both humans and dogs at each mile marker, as well as vet stations at various places on the course in case any dog had trouble finishing the race.

"We asked a few doctors to come out and pair with the students in four stations throughout the race," said race organizer Justin Allen. "But we are really lucky and have never had any dogs have problems during the run."

Many of the race's participants were happy to run in such a dog-friendly atmosphere. Duane Dust has run the course every year with his dog Marble, a mixed breed he adopted from the Champaign Humane Society. In recent years, Dust's 13-year-old son Henry has joined them.

"I enjoy the opportunity to run with the dog in a friendly, non-competitive atmosphere," Dust said. "We take Marble hiking and running with the family all the time, he sees the family as his pack, and he needs a chance to bond with us and with the other dogs around here."

Third-year vet student Romanie Walter said she often exercises with Cleo, her Doberman. Walter thinks Cleo's enthusiasm and energy help motivate her to run or bike.

"She'll run off and chase after other little animals or get lost somewhere and then I have to run after her," Walter said. "But she's getting old, and I ran without her for the first time this summer. I cried for the first 10 minutes of the run."

Louie, a mixed breed dog, motivated his owner, fourth year vet-student Anna Gregard to start exercising with him by running away.

"I adopted Louie during a semester I spent in Grenada (Spain) and he used to always escape and I would have to go looking for him," Gregard said. "So I decided to take him out running with me in an open field where I can't lose track of him, and he can still run around and get some fresh air and exercise. I can't stand the look he gives me if I can't go out and run with him some days. He really is a great motivation to keep active."

Information about this race and other events sponsored by the school of veterinary medicine is available at http://www.cvm.uiuc.edu/