EDITORIAL: Walking trails for area pets are a win for everyone
Aug. 15—Volunteer extraordinaire Kelly Johnson continues her amazing work with the area's homeless pets.
She was recently spotlighted in the pages of the Globe after launching a project to create a walking trail at Golden Paw Animal Rescue and Sanctuary on North Main Street in Joplin. With the help of a few other volunteers and business owners, she made possible a gravel, quarter-mile-long walking trail in a tree-lined field for the no-kill animal shelter.
"I think every shelter should have a walking trail, and I think it helps ... get them out of the shelter and into good homes," she told us.
You'll remember that the Joplin Humane Society, also on North Main in Joplin, several years ago built a walking trail on vacant land behind its shelter. Maintenance and upkeep of that trail has been made possible in part by donations from the Joplin Memorial Run, the annual race that raises money for local causes in memory of the 161 people who died in the May 2011 tornado.
These trails make it easy to walk shelter dogs — and that's a win for everyone. The pups get some much-needed time away from their kennel and an opportunity to socialize with humans, and the humans get some exercise outdoors in the fresh air and a chance to save a life by helping dogs become more adoptable.
If you're interested in making a difference, consider putting either of these trails to good use. The shelters are always in need of volunteers for a variety of tasks, and walking or running with the dogs is a popular task and one that has immediate and visible benefits. We promise it will be time well spent.
Back to school
Classes are due to begin Monday for the fall semester at both Missouri Southern State University and Pittsburg (Kansas) State University.
Students who are living on campus have spent this weekend moving into their residence halls, and everyone — faculty, staff and students alike — is gearing up for a return to the classroom. Many COVID-19 protocols are still in place on both campuses, and we encourage everyone to follow current guidance from health experts on masking, vaccination and other safety measures to ensure that the schools can avoid outbreaks this year and maintain in-person instruction.
Best of luck to all for a successful and safe semester.
