The TurfMutt Foundation’s Signature Events Set for Equip Expo 2026

Mulligan’s 5K Fun Run & Walk and the 8th Annual Mulligan’s Mutt Madness return to Louisville to benefit Kentucky Humane Society.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The TurfMutt Foundation is getting ready to roll out the green carpet as its beloved signature events return to Equip Exposition this October. Attendees will have the chance to move their “paws” for a purpose during Mulligan’s 5K Fun Run & Walk on Wednesday, October 21, and meet their next four-legged family member at the 8th Annual Mulligan’s Mutt Madness pet adoption event on Thursday, October 22.

Both events benefit the TurfMutt Foundation’s longstanding partner, Kentucky Humane Society (KHS). Led by TurfMutt’s “spokesdog” Mulligan the TurfMutt – a rescue herself who was adopted at the 2019 Mutt Madness – these events showcase the green industry’s connection to creating the yards and parks people and their pets use.

“Whether you’re catching the sunrise over the Ohio River during the 5K or strolling through Mulligan’s Garden Park at Equip to meet a dog who needs a home, it all comes back to appreciating our green spaces and the pets who enjoy them with us,” said Kris Kiser, President and CEO of the TurfMutt Foundation. “Plus, as someone who adopted Mulligan at Mutt Madness back in 2019, I know firsthand that you just might go home with a new best friend.”

The action kicks off early Wednesday morning with Mulligan’s 5K Fun Run & Walk. Participants will set off from the TurfMutt Foundation Great Lawn at Waterfront Park and cross the Ohio River via the historic Big Four Pedestrian Bridge, taking in sweeping views of downtown Louisville. All registrants receive an official commemorative shirt and finisher medal, with proceeds going directly to KHS.

On Thursday, the puppy love moves into the Kentucky Expo Center for Mulligan’s Mutt Madness. Held in Mulligan’s Garden Park – a specially built indoor green space designed to look and feel like a real park – attendees can meet, play with and adopt rescue dogs from KHS. Since its inception, Mutt Madness has matched over 130 dogs with industry professionals and attendees.

"When two organizations with a passion for pets and green spaces team up, incredible things happen," says Alisa Gray, President and CEO of KHS. "Seeing over 130 shelter dogs find loving homes through this partnership isn't just about the numbers. It's about 130 fresh starts and the absolute joy these dogs bring to their new families. Mutt Madness is one of our favorite events of the year, and the Equip Expo crowd steps up for these animals in a big way every time."

Both events are open exclusively to Equip attendees. To learn more about the TurfMutt Foundation and discover how to create pet-friendly outdoor spaces, visit TurfMutt.com.

About the TurfMutt Foundation

TurfMutt, which celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2024, was created by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute’s (OPEI) TurfMutt Foundation and has reached more than 70 million children, educators and families since 2009. The Foundation is title sponsor of “Lucky Dog,” the Emmy Award-winning CBS broadcast television show in support of dog rescue and rehabilitation. Both TurfMutt spokesdogs have been rescue dogs, and Mutt Mulligan is a cast character on the show, where her “Mulligan Minute” segments teach viewers about the benefits of green space. In 2024, the Great Lawn at Louisville’s award-winning Waterfront Park on the Ohio River was renamed the TurfMutt Foundation Great Lawn as part of a $1 million sponsorship. Championed by Mulligan the TurfMutt, and through education partners such as Scholastic, Discovery, Weekly Reader, and the USBGC Global Learning Lab, TurfMutt has taught students and teachers how to “save the planet, one yard at a time.” TurfMutt has been an education resource at the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Green Apple, the Center for Green Schools, the Outdoors Alliance for Kids, the National Energy Education Development (NEED) project, Climate Change Live, Petfinder and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In 2017, the TurfMutt animated video series won the coveted Cynopsis Kids Imagination Award for Best Interstitial Series. More information at TurfMutt.com.