'Monster Milers' Help Philadelphia's Shelter Dogs Get Exercise And New Homes
By John McDevitt
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A group of runners are doing their part in getting shelter dogs adopted.
Wearing an orange vest with the words "Adopt Me" on the side, one-year-old Tucker, an energetic golden retriever mix, ran in Old City alongside Carrie Maria, Founder of Monster Milers. The group of 250 volunteers goes to three Philadelphia animal shelters, including PAWS at 2nd and Arch Streets, and run with dogs looking for homes.
"In a shelter environment, they can backslide; they are scared. They don't know why they are there, they are confused. It can be a terrifying experience for them, and just as with human runners, after you go for a run you feel more centered—even if it's a very stressed out time of your life. So, what we do for these dogs, we just try to get those endorphins released so when people come into the shelter to meet them, hopefully their personalities will shine through. They're not going to be that frantic dog at the shelter," Maria explains.
Monster Milers have also been reaching out to the other runners at racing events as perspective adopters.
"And we talk to the runners about the benefits of running with the dogs, especially with single women when heading out alone."
For more on Monster Milers, click here.
