Volunteers come together to take Maricopa County shelter dogs on walks

Volunteers come together to take Maricopa County shelter dogs on walks

Volunteers in Mesa are coming together every month to take dogs at the Maricopa County Animal Care and Control shelter on a morning walk.

MESA, Ariz. - Nearly 100 dogs are getting some exercise this weekend as part of a monthly event that takes place at Maricopa County Animal Care and Control (MCACC) in Mesa.

It's an event put on once a month by the group Hope Whispers and the One Love Pitbull Foundation.

Dozens of volunteers come in and get paired with a dog to take them for a stroll around the shelter.

"It's not fun to be a dog in a kennel in a shelter, so this event allows them to get out, meet maybe their future owner, stretch a little, maybe get some treats along the way," said MCACC communications director Kim Powell. "So it's a good day for the dogs here."

Hope Whispers has been doing this since 2014 but took a pause during the pandemic. Still, many at this meeting are first timers.

"I thought what a good thing to do on a Saturday morning," said volunteer Kristen Kinney. "I brought my husband, I brought my son, thought it would be a good family thing to do."

Along with giving them a good workout, these volunteers are giving the dogs plenty of love - a gift the pups will happily return.

"Even if they bark or don't pay attention to you in their kennel, I hope people will come out and maybe adopt one," said Kinney.

The group usually does this every last Saturday of the month.

Find out more about their meetings: https://www.facebook.com/hopewhisperswalk/