Helping out some furry friends

comments 15
Life

This weekend has been horrible. In terms of the weather. Looks like the south-east of England has gone from drought conditions to having flood warnings. Crazy weather!

I spent a few hours on Saturday afternoon getting a little bit soaked in all the epic amount of rain we’ve been having. Mostly my feet. All for a good cause.

It was my first time out as a volunteer dog walker for my local Dog’s Trust centre. Despite the wind, rain and cold, it was a little bit fun. If you read my blog here, you know I love dogs. Well, there’s one particular dog who’s face gets spammed from my blog to my flickr and back again whenever I see her. I’d love to have my own pooch, but just don’t have the time. So, every other weekend I get to spend a few hours with a few different dogs. That’s not a bad way to spend what could be some lazy afternoons.

I’ve been thinking about setting some time aside for volunteer work for a while. Just something doing something else that’s not my 9-5 job or doing my usual things on the weekend. Something else. I found this and thought why not.

Sure, these dogs have their little character quirks. But the ones I walked on Saturday were cute enough. One was a big ol’ cuddly beast of a fella. He didn’t play well with other dogs, so was muzzled. He reminded me a lot of Axel, but beefy! Another was a bit timid and the third was a bit of a barker.

I’ve booked myself in for some more walking for the weekend after next. Hopefully by then my legs will have stopped aching. I didn’t think it was that much walking, but apparently it was. My knee’s still feeling a little crooked!

15 Comments

  1. Great cause Jaina. Good opportunities for some exercise too. We have been thinking of getting a dog but now that we have hens, will have to first mastered the art of chicken keeping, and then find a way of making sure that dog and hens co-exist happily. Cody is lovely, reminds me of our Alsatian when I was growing up.

    • Yep, plenty of exercise and fresh air! Getting a dog is massively rewarding. I definitely have one lined up for me in the future, just when I have more time.

      Excited about seeing photos of your chickens! Going to go over to your blog to have a look see ๐Ÿ˜€

  2. Hope you keep enjoying the dog walking. You must be committed to go out in some of the awful weather we’ve had recently. How did you enjoy Avengers? Top-notch work from Whedon.

    • Me too! The thing I keep reminding myself is that the time we have with the dogs outside is their only outside time. It’s not long, so I can put up with a bit of cold and wet for that little amount of time.

      LOVED Avengers. This year’s Whedon’s year – Cabin and Avengers – both amazing films. I can’t remember the last time I was this excited about Joss’ work. Dr. Horrible had me pretty excited – I’d HAVE to watch it as soon as it showed up online!

  3. Ah, that’s lovely! I love dogs too but I’m terible walking them – I can handle a tiny Yorkie but anything bigger…I’m scared to pul the leash fearing I will hurt the dog, so whenever I’m in situation like that we just go where the dog wants ๐Ÿ™‚

    • Dogs are tough things – I’m used to German shepherds, so don’t mind the bigger dogs. They’re good at the centre – if you don’t feel comfortable with bigger dogs, they won’t force you.

  4. Hey, all for a good cause right? Good for you to be volunteering your time, I love dogs too, I used to have a tiny Pekingese dog named Floppy ๐Ÿ˜€

  5. Aaah dogs are awesome! I used to go walking the dogs from the rescue near me until one got in a fight on the walk and I ended up having to punch it to get it off the other dog. It was horrible. Blood everywhere. Never had to hit a dog before. Never want to again. Aaah sorry that was miserable. Stick to the safe dogs!

    • Ahh, no worries Pete, I’ve had my fair share of badness with dogs. Hasn’t fazed me yet.

      They’re really good with the dogs at the centre, muzzling the slightly off kilter ones and having special leads and what nots. So far so good!

  6. I’ve always thought that dogs (or any animal) can instantly change your mood. You could have the worst day, but once you open your front door and see the happiness from a dog’s eye and tail…OMG, melt my black heart.

    I think that’s a good idea on volunteering at a local dog shelter. I bet they would love to see you more often! I was thinking about working at dog walking company. It will be a nice way to get some exercise everyday. LOL

    • Animals are amazing. Even if you’ve had the crappiest day, you’re knackered and you just want to sleep, they can make a complete 180 of your mood.

      I’d love to go there more often. Definitely good exercise! Dog walking in Hawaii? I would do that in a heartbeat!

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