BANGOR – Walking the dog took on much larger meaning Saturday as dozens of canines and their owners took to Bangor’s streets to raise money for the Bangor Humane Society.

It had all the markings of a traditional walking race, with some twists.

Refreshment stations were water-filled dog bowls placed on the ground, and entrants received bone treats at the end. The people accompanying the canine entrants along the waterfront and down Main Street carried small plastic bags as makeshift pooper-scoopers for dogs that couldn’t hold it.

It’s the 10th year that the Bangor Humane Society has held the Paws on Parade, a way of not only raising money but also showcasing the bond between dog and owner, and the unconditional love that each provides the other.

Sweetie, an 8-year-old Akita, is a prime example. She lost her sight to an immune deficiency disease that damaged her eyes when she was 9 months old. She’s blind and relies on owners Rick and Stephanie Fournier for help.

The couple have become her “seeing eye people,” said Fournier, whose Maximum Music business was the DJ for the event.

The couple has taken precautions at home and try not to move things around after Sweetie has become accustomed to her surroundings, and they’ve taught her that “step” means just that, to step up.

Sweetie gets excited when the Fourniers – who have two other Akitas – come home. She spins around in a circle in what Fournier calls the “Sweetie dance.”

“We don’t have children … so she’s our baby, she’s our first one,” Fournier said.

Saturday during the pre-race preparations Sweetie was the picture of composure, despite being surrounded by dogs and people she didn’t know.

Kaycie, a 7-month-old Pembroke Welsh corgi, on the other hand, was checking out everything and everyone, sometimes getting under the feet of owner David Rideout. It was her first real exposure to other dogs, having spent much of her life so far in the company of five cats in Etna, Rideout said.

He wasn’t quite sure how Kaycie would handle it, but figured it was the time for discovery.

“If you want to find out how good your dog relates to other animals, what better place?” Rideout said.

She’s a small dog, long and low to the ground, but she handled her own against larger dogs, tugging on the leash because she had to have a look at everything, from other dogs to a passing train.

As well as providing companionship and love, dogs also can provide a service, from protection to aiding the visually impaired, reducing tensions and saving lives.

Jetta at 8 months is at least five times Kaycie’s weight, not to mention that she towers over the corgi. That’s because Jetta is a Saint Bernard, seemingly with a touch of Clydesdale horse.

Led by owner Bonnie Brooks of Sandy Point, Jetta hauled Brooks’ grandson Noah in a red wood-and-metal wagon. When Jetta is older, she’ll be able to haul wood from the forest and pull cross-country skiers and younger sliders.

That’s not to mention the famed rescuing skills of Saint Bernards, trained by monks in the Swiss Alps in the 1500s to rescue travelers, Brooks said. So instinctual is it that should Brooks cover her head with a blanket, Jetta will try to dig her out. It’s the same with sleeping bags.

For the owners, Saturday’s walk provided many benefits.

“It’s an opportunity to get out and get some exercise. It’s an opportunity to socialize your dog with other dogs. But most importantly, it’s an opportunity to raise funds for the Bangor Humane Society, [which] provides a real public service,” Brooks said.