From big dogs to little dogs -- and everything in between -- Saturday's annual spring dog walk at the Country Inn Downey seemed to draw a record crowd of people, kids and, of course, dogs. (See
all the posts that include photos from previous walks.)
My dogs, Tess & Cowboy, have been participants in these walk-a-thons since fall '08 and I always enjoy seeing how the residents take to the dogs -- and how much the dogs love all the gentle attention they get when they visit.
The walks were started in summer 2008 by Manuel Guevara, the activities director at the assisted living home, as a way to get residents up, out and moving more. Offered three times a year -- summer, spring and fall -- they've become quite the affair, with numbers of participants growing each time.
Manuel teaches aerobics at the Lakewood YMCA and several of his students come with their dogs. A local church helps out with the logistics of the walk and many of the Country Inn residents invite their families and friends to attend and bring the family dogs. Some Herbalife representatives were on hand for this walk and conducted a free raffle.
But the interaction between the residents and the dogs is always the highlight of the event.
One thing I've noticed is how the dogs always seem to get residents to open up and reminisce about their former beloved pets. The man below told me all about Brutus, a dog assigned to him when he was in the military and who came home with him after his discharge. Brutus -- all black and 3/4 German shepherd, 1/4 Lab -- was never more than 12 feet away from him, he told me.
On Saturday he enjoyed petting Tess and also holding this little Chihuahua named "Pamela" who was very popular with everyone.
New this year was an effort to pose for a big, group photo. It worked pretty well:
Before the walk begins, everyone gathers in the patio with the residents for a time to check in and get acquainted. When it's time to leave, the residents -- some of whom use wheelchairs and walkers -- head out first, followed by those of us with dogs to handle. Some of the little dogs get lucky and are cradled in comfort the entire way by participants in wheelchairs.
Other dogs are left to walk in the more traditional way. (I love the little rock star hair style below!)
Shown below are "Nacho" and "Moose." One guess as to who's who:
The walk winds through the downtown district, with walkers often having to go single file. Volunteers help with traffic crossings and make sure everyone stays together. Along the way passing motorists will often wave or honk.
Volunteers pull a wheeled ice chest filled with bottled water so no one goes thirsty.
That's Manuel, above, offering a drink to "Pamela," who rode with Patty, one of the residents who used a wheelchair. Below, he asks another 4-footed participant if he wants some water.
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Daily Breeze reporter Donna Littlejohn has shared her homes with a succession of wonderful, funny, and occasionally difficult canines -- Muffin, Fritz, Ellie, Mercy, Pilgrim and now Cowboy, an Australian shepherd-border collie, and Tess, a border collie. From strong-willed terriers to weirdly obsessed Australian shepherds, they've invaded her world with boundless energy, wet noses, muddy paws and soggy tennis balls. But they've really brought so much more than that -- like laughter and joy, some unexpected life lessons, and more than a few tears along the way.
Josh Grossberg grew up with the usual array of animals: goldfish, dogs, hamsters, parakeets and turtles. He now owns the loudest dog in the South Bay(Video: Rocket the Dog) and is the least popular person on his block. He spends his free time in dog parks, pet shops and always has an extra plastic bag in his pocket just in case. He also has a cat.