There are so many ways in which Pet Partners teams can support their communities. In Santa Clarita, CA, some Pet Partners volunteers are providing a helping paw to other working dogs, allowing everyone to expand their impact for the community and those in need.
Besides slowly going back into facilities, we have paired up with Guide Dogs of America to help them raise their puppies. Since it’s harder for them to socialize during COVID, they have asked registered therapy dog teams to come to their socialization walks every Friday morning at different parks around our valley.
Their pups weren’t getting out to experience traffic and especially a variety of dog breeds, other than Labrador and golden retrievers. What better way to expose them to other breeds than to invite well-behaved therapy dogs of all breeds to join them on walks?
During the walks we’ll sometimes walk our dogs in close proximity to their pups, and even participate in the “puppy games” they play, such as tic tac toe, and many others.
It’s also great for our therapy dogs, because during COVID-19 restrictions, many of our dogs were becoming more reactive without regular interaction, so it’s perfect for us as well! It’s really a win-win.
A few of our Pet Partners teams shown here are Pat Fellows with Charlie (Havanese), Kim Weichel with Freddie (Labrador retriever), and Diane Zeiler with Outlaw (Siberian husky).