The Vance County Animal Shelter, located at 1243 Brodie Rd in Henderson, will host a Veterans Dog Walk on Saturday, May 12, 2018, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
The public is welcome, with veterans and first responders strongly encouraged to attend. Participants will be walking and interacting with selected shelter dogs in an effort to provide companionship and trust-building activities.
The event, titled Paws, Tails and Boots, was founded by veteran and Vance County Animal Shelter volunteer Mark Ferri. Ferri began the program in 2016 as a way to raise awareness of the mental health issues faced by veterans.
According to Ferri, the event has grown with the support of both the Vance County Animal Shelter and Chief Frankie Nobles. “Frankie and his staff are like family to me,” Ferri said. “I couldn’t do it without them.”
Ferri believes that the veterans and dogs interact so well because “both of us have had traumatic experiences, both of us need help and both of us need each other.”
By working together, Ferri believes that the interaction is beneficial and healing to both human and dog. “When you take a dog for a walk, the veteran engages with the public, gets out of their shell and builds trust,” said Ferri. “The animal also enjoys the walk and builds trust in humans as well.”
While there, Ferri and other participants will be encouraging others who are eligible to commit to adopting a shelter animal, be it dog or cat.
According to Ferri, the only thing you need to do to participate in the event is to “bring some good walking shoes and a good attitude.”
For more information on the Vance County Animal Shelter and their services, please visit their website at https://www.vancecounty.org/departments/animal%20control/.