I saw this program advertised in a fitness magazine a couple of years ago and called our local shelter to see if they had such a program. They did not. But just recently, our local SICSA (Society for the Improvement of Conditions for Stray Animals) has gotten it off the ground. My youngest sent me the info last week and I jumped at the chance to register. With the weather getting nice, it looks like a great way to help homeless dogs and get outside and exercise.
Last night, I went to the required one hour orientation. I taught class immediately before and had exactly 8 minutes to drive the 6.5 miles from the gym to the shelter. Yes, I was a little sweaty so my plan was to keep a little distance between me and the other volunteers at the meeting. I'm sure I looked like an over achiever who thought she was running with a dog right then and there.
I pulled into the parking lot (with 1 minute to spare) to find it slam full. I then drove through the large overflow lot looking for a space. Next, I tried the huge lot of the vet's office next door, already closed for day, and not a space to be found. I finally found a place on the curb on the street 1.5 blocks away. I sprinted to the shelter, as I was now officially late for the orientation meeting (and now also in need of a little
more space between me and the other volunteers).
What I found when I got there: over 180 people from the community. The meeting room was overflowing; every chair taken, people sitting on the floor, and standing, pressed 2 deep against every wall. (fire code, schmire code) It made my heart happy to see so many people interested in providing exercise and companionship to homeless dogs.
We picked up our info packets with Paw Partner applications, waivers, releases, rules, and important phone numbers. A staff member introduced Jefferson, a super friendly 4 year old coon hound, to show us the harness and leash system, the fancy water bottle that when turned upside down fills a little collapsible attached bowl, and the handy-dandy-ever-so-important poop bag dispenser that attaches to each harness. They explained that each dog is micro-chipped, wears a collar with a tag stating "Property of SICSA" on it, and also while out with the Paws program, wears a flag that says "Adopt Me." During this show-and-tell of details, Jefferson went from laying sprawled on the floor half asleep to trying to climb into the lap of the closest volunteer.
After hearing all the guidelines, the staff opened the floor to questions; always an interesting, if not entertaining, experience in a crowd this large. (Keep in mind, they shared a LOT of info with us already - this was an hour long meeting!) Here are just some of the questions that followed:
Can we take out more than one dog at a time?No. One-on-one is preferred. If there are 2 volunteers who want to go out together, they will try to match 2 dogs who get along. Otherwise - one handler, one dog, as stated in the info packet.
Can we drive a dog to a nearby park?Yes, for now. They realize people have favorite routes, parks, and trails they like to run so you can put the shelter dog in your car. If this proves to be a problem later, the program may be limited to walking distance of the shelter. They stressed the facility is not responsible to any damage to your car and that some dogs may not be good travelers; all stated in the info packet.
Is there a distance limit on how far I can run a dog?A shelter dog can be away from the facility a maximum of 2 hours. Staff will track the times and distances each dog is taken out, with a 1 mile limit week one, 2 mile limit week two, 3 mile limit week three, and then a maximum of 5 miles per outing after that. Their high energy dogs will be allowed to participate in the program more often, while participation of older or less energetic dogs will be limited. Program hours are set so the dogs are at the shelter during peak adoption times. Again, all explained in the info packet.
Can we bring our own dog along?Yes, but a staff supervised meet-and-greet is required each time. Please see info packet for more details.
Can we have a kid in a stroller while we take out a shelter dog?Yes, if you can control the dog and the stroller. The dogs all undergo a personality assessment but, like all animals, are unpredictable. You assume all risk for yourself, your children, and anyone else, says the waiver we all signed in the info packet.
Can we roller-blade with a shelter dog?After an awkward pause, yes. As long as you can control the dog, and don't run over its paws, you can roller blade. We may need to add this to the info packet.
About now, I am starting to shift my weight from foot to foot, feeling a little uncomfortable. The intelligent (and even a few less-than-intelligent) questions have all been asked. This is when I am convinced people are wracking their brains, trying to think of questions, any question.
Do we have to run...can we walk the shelter dog?Of course! The smaller breeds may not be the best runners but they all thrive on exercise outside.
Duh.
Do we have to keep the dog on the leash?Really? Yes. Some shelter dogs may seem very well behaved but they don't know you, and chances are, they don't know their surroundings. If we lose the dogs, it's hard to find homes for them. Let's keep the leashes on, as stated in the info packet.
What if I get here, and there are no dogs available?Are you kidding? Should they give you a cat to walk instead? With the overwhelming response to the program, it is possible that all participating dogs may be out when you arrive. You can call ahead and reserve a dog if you want. But if you reserve a dog, please show up so as to not hurt their feelings and add to their rejection insecurities. :)
Stay tuned for future Paw Partner adventures. The program officially starts April 17 and
I hope to participate at least once a week.
I made a promise to my dog that I wouldn't walk shelter dogs
unless I had first walked her.
That seems only fair.
And then I had to make a promise to my honey
not to bring any shelter animals home.
Hmmm....that wasn't in the info packet...
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
