With the kids just getting out of school for the summer and families across Suffolk getting ready for their vacations, September might seem — depending on perspective — a distant promise or a distant threat. Either way, for most folks, there’s plenty of time and things to do before considering what’s happening in three months from now.

But members of the Suffolk Humane Society are in the final stretch of preparation for their premier event, Mutt Strut, held in September each year. Hence, thoughts of September will never be far from their minds, even as they remain involved in many of the tasks that make Suffolk summers so special.

These volunteers consider their distraction a small price to pay for the Humane Society’s most important and successful fundraising event of the year, the one where more people come into contact with adoptable dogs and cats than at any other time or any other place throughout the year.

Mutt Strut attracts more than 4,000 visitors to Suffolk’s Sleepy Hole Park each year. The event features animal rescue organizations from throughout the area, along with pet-friendly vendors, pet competitions, canine demonstrations and an opportunity for pets and their humans to enjoy a day under the open sky together with other like-minded dogs and people. And when it’s all over, Suffolk Humane has raised funds that allow it to continue its mission to protect animals in the city and to promote spaying, neutering and responsible pet ownership.

The organization is looking for sponsors for this year’s Mutt Strut, and even though the event doesn’t take place until September, members are urging businesses and civic organizations in the community to get involved as quickly as possible. Individuals can help, as well, either by donating directly or by collecting pledges for the fundraising dog walk from which the event takes its name.

Regardless of the form of your support, what counts is the support itself. Suffolk Humane does good work, rescuing animals that likely would have been euthanized and finding loving homes for them, and then by teaching pet owners new and old about the importance of spaying and neutering their animals. Mutt Strut is a fine extension of that work, and people who love animals in Suffolk have every reason to want to help make it successful.