CaniCross is a fun activity where you and your dog (or dogs) team up to run together. It is a very popular activity in lots of countries and has become popular in Ireland. We contacted Canicross Ireland with an idea to run with some of our kennel dogs and they couldn't have been more helpful and welcoming, even going as far as donating some of their unused proper canicross harnesses to our cause.
Alannah and James, two of our staff members and our fittest, bravely took up the challenge of getting themselves and two of our dogs ready for the event. They put in extra hours training, coming up on their days off to get the dogs used to the harnesses and used to running ahead. They blew us away with their commitment.
"THE DOGS".
We chose Frye, a young pointer x boy, who had been scavenging on the streets as a stray before coming into our care very scared, unsure and underweight. Aquarius, a lovely Lurcher girl, was found straying on the fields and bogs of Ballinasloe also scared, confused and underweight. They, too, blew us away with the ease and joy they found in their training. It was an early start on race day as we headed off to Drewstown House in Co. Meath. To be honest we had no idea what we were heading into, all we knew was that we were going there to enjoy the day and show the world just how amazing rescue dogs truly are.
Everyone we met was so kind and welcoming and wanted to help us all enjoy the day. Alannah and Frye, James and Aquarius were entered in the 3km event and absolutely smashed it, both coming home within 16mins. A superb effort for their first attempt. To say we are proud of them is an understatement. We are super, super proud. When you think that just over a month ago both Frye and Aquarius were living on the streets, neither had ever experienced the world as most dogs know it, yet they came out of their kennels, loaded onto our van, arrived into a busy event, ran their race and then mixed and greeted dogs and people of all shapes and sizes as though they had been doing it all their lives. Proving why Rescue Dogs are the best given their chance. We would like to say a huge thank you to the Canicross Ireland guys who really got behind us and made us feel like a part of their family. We hope that by sharing our experience of Canicross it may entice more people to find out more and join.
It really is a fun way of spending time with your dog. It can be as competitive or non competitive as you choose as no one judges you if you are just there for a potter, it is all about enjoyment. If we can do it, so can you. We saw dogs of all breeds and sizes but the one thing they had in common was that they were all having the time of their life. We are looking forward to the next event in April, in Co Carlow.
And the BEST NEWS is that Frye got his forever home with a lovely family in the UK who saw one of our training videos and they sent in an application. How amazing is that! Aquarius, we hope will find her forever home very soon too.
GalwaySPCA, forever going above and beyond for the animals in their care.
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