Volunteers come together to take Maricopa County shelter dogs on walks

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/