KENNEL CLUB GROUP HOLDING DOG RACE FUNDRAISER FOR CHARITY

The Gazehounds of New England will be holding a mixed-breed coursing ability test on Saturday to raise money for an international organization that provides low-cost cataract surgeries to people in need.

The American Kennel Club-approved event will be held Saturday, Oct. 7, at the Kinnie Farm, 2139 Glasgo Road in Griswold. Dogs must be registered by 7:30 a.m. Saturday and registrations will be accepted on site. The event begins at 8 a.m. and will run all day, with two sessions — one in the morning and one in the afternoon. It is open to all dogs at least a year old that are registered with the AKC, although female dogs in heat will not be accepted.

The ability test comprises an obstacle course set up in a field with a lure that each dog will chase through the course. Judges will time the dogs and assess their performance. There will be two separate courses: one for small and flat-faced dogs, and one for larger dogs.

To participate, dog owners must complete an entry form and pay the entry fee of $30 per animal. There is a participant limit of 75 dogs per session.

For more information, call field trial secretary Cheryl Hutchings at (860) 771-1512 or email her at isisofdalmatia@ hotmail.com. To download the registration packet, visit bit.ly/ GONECAT.

All net proceeds will be donated to the Himalayan Cataract Project. The organization serves the blind in Nepal, Ethiopia, Ghana, Bhutan, India, Myanmar and Rwanda and has been featured on the television program “60 Minutes.”