Dogs Dogs Dogs

Loving and playing with dogs is part of many camp directors’ lives. Most camps have a dog at camp. Some hospitals and senior homes have dogs or other pets for healing and calming purposes. Our Runoia pack of dogs do provide therapeutic peace and calm to most people (once you get over the initial doggy enthusiasm).

Campers like to walk a camp dog in their free time. Others just love to hug our very huggable eight year old black lab, Cody. You’ll find a camper sitting with Katahdin on Abby’s Cottage porch or running up to pet Jake on his afternoon walk in camp. Many of our Runoia alumnae grew up with Coco at camp in the 1970s. Years ago, one camper, got over her fear of dogs by slowly warming up to our old pooch, Lily. She eventually was walking Lily on a leash and petting Lily and looking for Lily in her free time. To this day she says her exposure to the Runoia dogs was a big part of her healing her phobia.  So dog-therapy sure does happen, albeit inadvertently, at summer camp.

Just recently Gines’ family adopted a dog, Krewe. So, he’ll be a part of camp this coming summer.

And Alex’s family fosters dogs whenever they can. Alex is wise not to foster dogs in the summer when she knows she is too busy at camp to give the dog the time the dog deserves.   Yesterday Abby came to visit camp while she was dog-sitting in the area.  So, we had a pack of dogs running around in the snow having a jolly old time. Camp isn’t just for campers in the winter!   Today I read an alumnae connection blog about loving his dog.  Read Micheal’s blog here.  As you know, dogs are a huge part of family culture not only in the United States but around the globe.

Adopting or rescuing a dog is a great gift to canine world. Maybe you will consider an adoption or foster care for a dog in the new year?We encourage you to take the time to figure out if you can fit a dog into your daily/weekly routine, if you can afford the cost of a dog and get your family on board with sharing the responsibility of caring for a dog.

Here’s to enjoying your dog, someone else’s dog, to camp dogs and to helping the dogs around the world have a great start to the new year!