MATTOON, Ill., Jan. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Rural King, a family-owned retailer dedicated to the rural lifestyle, will once again bring communities together to celebrate pets and support animals in need during its annual Paws in the Park event on Saturday, Jan. 24, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Rural King locations nationwide.
Paws in the Park is a one-day event that celebrates the bond between people and their pets while benefiting local animal shelters and rescue organizations. Customers are invited to bring their pets to participating stores*, enjoy time together and donate pet food and supplies to shelters in their communities.
This year, Rural King anticipates distributing approximately 150 pallets of pet food and 150 gaylords of supplies to animal shelters nationwide. In addition, Rural King has arranged to donate pallets of Crunchy Bites dog treats to local animal shelters as part of the event.
“At Rural King, pets are family, and Paws in the Park is one of our favorite ways to celebrate that,” said Blayne Lawyer, Buyer – Pets, Rural King. “This annual event brings our communities together to support local animal organizations, enjoy time with their pets, and share in the joy animals bring to our lives. We’re proud to continue this tradition and give back to the shelters and rescues that do so much for pets in need.”
During the event, each participating Rural King store will partner with a local animal shelter or rescue organization. Donation bins will be set up in stores, allowing customers to purchase pet food, treats, toys and other supplies on site and place them directly into the donation bins. After the event, partner shelters will collect the donated items from their local store.
All Rural King locations will participate in the donation program, with each store supporting shelters in its local community.
Paws in the Park is an annual event hosted by Rural King to strengthen community connections and support animal welfare organizations. While the event takes place on a single day, the donations collected help shelters care for pets well beyond the event.
*While all stores are participating in the donation effort, Ohio locations will not allow pets inside the store due to state regulations. Customers at those locations are still encouraged to participate by donating items.
For more information about Paws in the Park or to find a participating Rural King location, visit www.ruralking.com.
About Rural King, Inc.
Rural King, also known as RK Holdings, LLP, planted its roots as America’s Farm and Home Store in Mattoon, Illinois in 1960. Since that time, Rural King has grown to more than 140 stores in seventeen states. Rural King offers the lowest prices on a broad range of essential goods, food, feed, seed and other farm and home necessities to the communities we serve throughout Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. We welcome and encourage everyone to enjoy our longstanding tradition of offering free popcorn and coffee every time you visit our stores.
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SOURCE Rural King
