Teacher helps promote Canine Cardio Companions
Ms. Christine hopes to provide companionship to animals living in shelters
Ms. Lindsay Christine is hoping to find volunteers to participate in Canine Cardio Companions.
A new middle school teacher at Bellwood-Antis has taken time to help with the creation and promotion of a new group of volunteers called Canine Cardio Companions at the local Central PA Humane Society. The volunteers here take adoptable shelter dogs out in the community for exercise like walks, hikes and runs.
According to middle school special education teacher Ms. Lindsay Christine, who is helping to get the movement off the ground, every outing is documented on their Facebook page using pictures, videos, and an anecdote about the experience with the dogs.
“In addition to volunteering, we, as a group, fundraise money to help sponsor adoption fees. We have a Go Fund Me page directly linked to the Central PA Humane Society,” said Ms. Christine. “In December 2016, the CCC’s one year anniversary, we did a Booster fund raiser, selling shirts and sweatshirts, to celebrate and raise money for the shelter. We raised over $200 with this Booster fund raiser, and used the money to sponsor a kennel at the Central PA Humane Society for the entire 2017 year.”
The Canine Cardio Companions officially began in December 2015. The CCC-sponsored kennel at the Central PA Humane Society will allow the group to avoid focusing on raising money each month to sponsor a dog.
Individuals who love animals are able to provide essential exercise and socialization to shelter dogs living in a high stress environment.
— Ms. Christine
Much good comes out of this volunteer group. To community members interested in joining the Canine Cardio Companions, it is a great opportunity to volunteer and give back to our community.
“Individuals who love animals are able to provide essential exercise and socialization to shelter dogs living in a high stress environment,” said Ms. Christine. “There is great satisfaction in having a dog enjoy himself/herself; this usually involves big, wet, sloppy kisses!”
A good majority of New Year’s resolutions are to exercise more. The Canine Cardio Club asks why not include a furry friend that also needs exercise?
As Ms. Christine can attest, being a cardio companion for a dog can be rewarding and filled with sloppy, wet kisses.
“Exercising with a dog is motivating and enjoyable, because it is at the dog’s pace, not the human’s pace,” Ms. Christine said.
There are many more benefits with the walks: “The humans learn a lot about patience, self-control, how to let go of control, and how to focus on the best interest of another living being. Also, the experiences with the CCC are one of a kind and keep bringing volunteers back,” she said.
If you take up this offer from CCC, you might find it hard returning to the shelter.
“It is such a humbling experience to know that we provided joy to an animal who may have been untrusting of humans, lonely, stressed, anxious, or under stimulated. People usually assume that it is very difficult to take the dog back to the shelter after our outing; the first few times I ran with a dog and took him/her back, it was emotionally difficult to return to the shelter,” said Ms. Christine.
But as you continue it comes easier, and easier. “Emotionally this became easier on me, because I realized that just by me taking the dogs out of the shelter, exercising and socializing with them, and by sharing the experience on Facebook, I was helping the dogs find their ‘forever’ families. There is satisfaction in knowing that we are making a difference in the lives of the dogs, the shelter, and in the “forever” families adopting these amazing animals!”
This is not the only volunteer program with the Central PA Humane Society, and Ms. Christine was quick to point to others.
“Additionally, I would like to add that the Central PA Humane Society is such an amazing animal shelter. The workers at the shelter truly care about all of the animals and are dedicated to improving the lives of each cat and dog in the shelter. There are many programs available to members of the community (as young as 10 years old),” Ms. Christine said.
Many of the other programs include cage and kennel cleaning, dog and cat socializing, office assistants, greeters, washing dishes and doing laundry, grounds keeping and maintenance, dog walking, and the CCC. The shelter also has a program for school-aged students where the students read to a cat or a dog.
