Triathlete makes canine care his cause

Special to ViewVeterinarian Matthew Brooks is preparing for the annual Las Vegas Triathlon, set for Sept. 30. His goal is to raise $10,000 apiece for the Weimaraner Rescue Club and the Basset Rescue Group. Advertisement

He's worked with puffer fish and manatees, wrangled alligators and helped heal horses and cattle. In a few days, he'll be taking on a different kind of challenge, but like everything else, it will be for the benefit of animals.

Local veterinarian Matthew Brooks will be competing in the ninth annual Las Vegas Triathlon, which starts at Lake Mead's Boulder Beach on Sept. 30. He's been training hard for the last few months to prepare -- he'll be swimming, cycling and running in the shorter sprint triathlon -- and it was during that training that he had an epiphany.

"I've never done anything like this before, and when you're training, you have a lot of time to think," Brooks said. "I started to think about why I'm doing it, and that maybe I should be doing it for a bigger purpose."

This contemplation came just after Brooks had euthanized a sick dog, a Weimaraner named Grayson.

"That just popped into my mind. It's unpleasant to have to do it, but I just kept thinking about how even though Grayson's prognosis was poor, the rescue group that was caring for him spent quite a bit of money to do the proper testing and get the right diagnosis. That's a tough decision for these groups because they're not well-funded, and that kind of testing can get expensive."

With that thought, Brooks had his purpose. He decided to use his participation in the triathlon to help raise money for two of his favorite local dog rescue groups, the Weimaraner Rescue Club and the Basset Rescue Group.

His goal is to raise $10,000 for each group, and though he's only been fundraising for about a month, he's confident his efforts will go a long way in helping the groups help more dogs.

"These are two of the best groups I've worked with. I just really enjoy working with these people because they really do care about these animals," Brooks said. "A lot of these Weimaraners are rescued from the desert, and they can have very serious illnesses. This money can help them out so much because you're talking about getting up around $300 to $500 to rescue each dog."

Brooks has lived in Las Vegas for three years. He graduated from Colorado State University and has worked in all kinds of environments with all kinds of animals, from ranches to wildlife research. Eventually, he decided that small animals were his favorites to work with.

Taking care of sick pets is nothing new for the veterinarian, but the physical and mental demands of the triathlon will be a unique experience.

"I'm going to be starting with the sprint triathlon, which is a .7-kilometer swim, 18-kilometer bike ride and 5-kilometer run," Brooks said. "We've been training and going beyond those distances, but we're going to stick with the original plan and do the shortest option. I'm just working my way up. Plus, now that I've told everyone I'm doing it, I want to make sure I can finish. Next year, I'll move up."

Those interested in helping with the fundraising effort for the dog rescue clubs can do so online at www.vegasweimrescueclub.org. For more information on the Basset Rescue Group, visit www.rescuebassets.com.