My wife and I have always had dogs during our 40 years of marriage which began in Illinois where our packs numbered from one to 5 or 6 dogs, the first from a puppy through a breeder and the rest adopted dogs of various ages and breeds, most of which were lost or surrendered.
Now in South Carolina, we still have five in our pack of dogs, all foster failures (we fostered and kept). When we moved to Aiken 8 years ago, I was finally retiring from practicing dentistry at the age of 81 and had extra time on my hands. I always like to exercise and be as fit as possible, so I started volunteering at the County Animal Shelter (FOTAS) by walking dogs and fostering puppies.
We had never encountered working at a shelter before. I began to notice that the more the dogs were walked, the more relaxed they became and the easier it was to walk them. So I began to realize that I was walking the dogs for me and the dogs. Then I was walking maybe 2-3 days each week with the dogs and more recently my walking increased to 5 days a week within the last year. Now I am part of a team of walkers in the afternoons – Barb, Sue, Olga, Malia, who share the same goals. Now we walk not only for ourselves and the dogs, but we walk for those people that will adopt the dogs and make them part of their lives. So why do I walk dogs? My answer would be – It is the right thing to do. So if you can and are able, please join us walking the dogs at the shelter. It’s the right thing to do for all of us. I cherish the opportunity to be a volunteer for FOTAS – maybe you will too.
Their lives are in our hands.
By Chuck Cooper, FOTAS Volunteer