Celebrity Spokes-Pooch to Headline Charity Bike Run

A local celebrity — and a stylishly dressed one at that — will be promoting a worthy cause in Romeoville next month.

Rufio, a 145-pound Neapolitan mastiff and famous greeting card model, will lend his support to the Romeoville Humane Society during an Aug. 21 charity motorcycle run from Romeoville to south Wilmington.

The pampered pooch, known for his dapper dress sense and appearances on Hallmark greeting cards, is helping out his fellow four-legged friends after he and his owner, Kathryn Dunlap of Plainfield, had a chance encounter with humane society volunteers at an adoption event.

“Rufio is my friend,” humane society president Jill Aikin explained. “I actually met him and his owner at a big event we had at Pet Supplies Plus [in Bolingbrook].”

Now, the photogenic pup is doing his best to help raise money for the humane society as volunteers work to collect enough funds to purchase a building. Currently, the Romeoville Humane Society doesn't have an animal shelter, instead relying on volunteer foster families to care for homeless animals.

Aikin said Dunlap saw a Facebook post about the bike run, which departs from , 402 N. Weber Road, at 11 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 21, and ends at 4:30 p.m.

“She saw the post for the bike run and she said, ‘Can I come?’ ” Aikin said. Volunteers were more than happy to invite Dunlap and her famous friend, who appeared on a series of pet-themed Hallmark cards after winning the “Furry, Funny and Frightful” greeting card contest last year. Since then, the pooch has attracted a fan following, making appearances at and launching his own Facebook fan page.

Recently, Rufio helped promote the Romeoville Humane Society bike run when he appeared on an ABC-7 news segment.

“Kathryn even mentioned the bike run,” Aikin said. “It was pretty awesome. [Rufio is] all over the place.

“This dog is phenomenal.”

Rufio’s TV appearance can be seen here, and new fans can add him on Facebook by clicking here.

Bike run benefit

The first bike will leave Stella’s at 11 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 21, making the more than 125-mile trek first to Kankakee, then to south Wilmington, stopping at several locations along the way, according to Aikin.

The cost for each bike is $10, with an extra $5 for a passenger. To register, contact the humane society at romeovillehumanesociety@yahoo.com or stop in at Stella’s.

On-site registration starts at 10 a.m. at Stella’s, Aikin said. The event features food, live music, a 50/50, raffles and more.

“All the money, every single dime, goes to the Romeoville Humane Society,” Aikin said. “This is going to be one of the biggest events that we’ve ever had, so we’re really excited.

“We’re hoping it will be a huge success.”