So many dogs and other animals unfortunately end up being abandoned and living on the streets, with millions eventually taken in by shelters and rescue centers each year. There, they live in hope, waiting for the day when a new owner might walk through the doors and give them a happy forever home to call their own.
Until then, these dogs often spend their days cooped up, lacking in exercise and stimulation. Shelter workers do the best they can to look after the animals, but they often don’t have the time or resources to give every dog the care and love it needs.
Fortunately, kindhearted animal lovers take time out of their own schedules to visit rescue centers, offering to walk the dogs or spend some time playing with them, just to brighten up their days and give them some human contact. And this high school cross country team had a great idea when they decided to take a bunch of local shelter dogs along on one of their runs!
We all know that dogs love to run, and they were thrilled to get out in the open air and enjoy a fun-filled jog with members of the St. Joseph High School cross country team.
Over a dozen dogs from the Santa Barbara County Animal Shelter were taken along on the run, and each member of the team had a canine companion to call their own. A heartwarming video was filmed of the occasion and has been making waves on social media, shared on the team’s Facebook account, along with the following caption:
Got a pretty cool cross country team (& coach!). Taking dogs from the animal shelter on a Morning Jog! If you see a dog you like, go adopt!
The team’s coach, Luis Escobar, came up with the idea and joked that he wasn’t sure who had the most fun between the dogs and the kids!
“Either way,” he said, “It was a great time and I’m sure we’ll do it again sometime soon.”
All of the pups seemed to love the run, and most of them looked ready to run another few miles by the time the team reached the end.
One or two of them, however, were all tired out. Like little Fred, pictured below, who got a bit tired from running so far on his little legs and had to be carried the rest of the way by his friend, Josh.
This is a wonderful example of people showing love and care to animals in need.
We all have animal shelters nearby, filled with furry friends who desperately want to get outdoors, interact with people, and have some excitement and enjoyment in their lives. Check out the whole video below and if you feel inspired, be sure to visit your local shelter and offer to play with the cats, take the dogs for a walk, or simply help out however you can.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
Got a pretty cool cross country team (& coach!). Taking dogs from the animal shelter on a Morning Jog! If you see a dog you like, go adopt!
Posted by St. Joseph Athletics on Thursday, 4 August 2016
