Volunteer program gets Sarge's shelter dogs out to em-bark on trails

Jan. 25—Dogs of all breeds get excited at the sound of the treat bag opening or a favorite toy being squeaked. But for shelter dogs — like the ones at Sarge's Animal Rescue Foundation in Waynesville — its the jingling of the leash and harness that riles up these pups.

A weekly tradition is being established at Sarge's, one that connects two-legged and four-legged friends in the time-honored activity of hiking. For the staff at Sarge's, they hope it not only improves the bland lives of shelter dogs, but also opens doors for the ultimate goal — adoption.

"A dog in any kennel, no matter how nice the kennel is, no matter how chill the dog is, a dog in a kennel is not the same dog they are when they're on a hike," said Lyndsey L. Tate, volunteer and foster coordinator at Sarge's. "They get to see the dogs joyful, happy, excited, and that's when you see their personality because they can relax."

Launched in November, the Adventure Tails program pairs volunteers up with a shelter dog to go for a hike every Monday morning.

The idea was inspired by Nancy East, a Sarge's board member and retired veterinarian, who wanted to create a volunteer opportunity where the pups and people alike could get outside, but she knew there'd have to be training involved.

Fortunately, Sarge's Behavior Coordinator, Kevin Mueller, has former experience with dog hiking programs at shelters in Asheville and was familiar with the training that would go into it — thus setting the idea into motion.

Tate said the volunteers pick which dog to take on a hike that is no more than four miles.

"The volunteers pick the hike, pick the dogs, pick where they go, how long they go for," Tate said.

The Dahlia Ridge Trail at Haywood Community College is frequented by the group, but Tate said she and Mueller are always looking for new trails and are open to suggestions.

Each hiking duo is equipped with a designated hiking aid kit, water and portable dog bowls, an air horn for wildlife, a special harness and, of course, treats, a dog hiking staple.

The walkers take precautions with the dogs and stand no more than 10 feet apart in case a furry friend gets rowdy.

"So there's enough space between the person in front and the next person to where even if that dog is zeroing in on the other dog, it's a lot easier to distract and get him to pay more attention to you and the treats in your hand," Tate explained.

Tate boasts about her volunteers, who are very intuitive about what the dogs need.

"They know that if it was really stormy the night before, the dogs are going to be a little bit more worked out. So they'll take them on a little bit longer of a hike," Tate said. "They know how to read the dogs and see what they need from the hike that day. They're fantastic."

The program aims to give all dogs a chance on the trails.

Tate said that they observe how the dogs interact with each other based on Sarge's play groups that get the dogs together three times a week. From there, they can assess a dog's needs for a successful walk.

"The great thing about Adventure Tails is almost everybody gets to go hiking," Tate said. "If they're reactive, we do our best to give the dogs that wouldn't do well in dog park situations or Waynesville Rec Center walk situations the ability to go hiking places where there aren't going to be a lot of other dogs and where they can practice."

On one hand, dogs like Marky Mark, who is afraid of loud noises, and has a lot of environmental sensitivities, opt out of the hikes. On the other hand, dogs like Loki get a chance to relax when it's trail time.

Tate said she's also seen a lot of behavioral improvements in the dogs. One in particular is Gabriella, a Catahoula Leopard Dog that can seem imposing upon first meeting.

"She just doesn't like other dogs, but she hikes like a champ because she's so excited to be on that hike she's not paying attention to other dogs," Tate said. "You get her on the trail, and she has the happiest, pranciest feet, and she loves her volunteer with her whole heart."

Tate said her favorite part of the program is seeing the dogs bonding with volunteers on hikes.

"That's the thing shelter dogs are always looking for, the thing they want the most is to bond with a person, and even though a volunteer isn't a forever person, they know that 'this is my buddy, and we're going to go walking together,'" Tate said.

However, for the first time this week, the hikes brought a dog to their forever home.

One of Sarge's longtime volunteers, Kelley Pezzella, suggested taking one of the rescue's senior dogs, Mandy, out on a hike.

"She had never really interacted with Mandy, but then they went hiking, and Kelly took her into a foster home," Tate said.

And just this week — Mandy got adopted by the Pezzella family.

"Because of Adventure Tails, Mandy got to show her personality, and a person fell in love with her and adopted her, and that's the beautiful thing," Tate said.

How to volunteer

Interested volunteers ages 18 years and older are invited to apply online at sarges.org/get-involved/volunteer.

After applying, volunteers must attend an orientation and a session on handler training, where volunteers are taught how to safely harness and walk the dogs and then a basic woods safety course before it's time to hit the trailheads.

Sarge's is located at 356B Industrial Park Drive in Waynesville. Contact the shelter at 828.246.9050 or info@sarges.org.