When A Walk Is Much More
This month we’ve been supporting the Schnauzerfest awareness campaign: Spring Forward For Schnauzerfest. It’s a celebration of getting out on daily walks, giving dogs the freedoms and joys that come from this. Sharing the happiness with their humans. There have been some beautiful photos and videos shared across social media by supporters. Instagram in particular is a great platform for happy images. When they have a serious message behind them, it’s all the better as far as I’m concerned.
The earliest roots of Schnauzerfest go back to when I first took Susie-Belle out for a walk. It was while she was in foster care, the week before she had cataract surgery. I write about it in Saving Susie-Belle.
I loved that walk. My first experience of walking with the dog who would change my life. While almost 12 years have passed and a lot in my life has changed, memories of the walk are as fresh as if it happened yesterday. That walk was the start of my immersion into the world of living with puppy farm survivors.
Susie-Belle went on to teach me a tremendous amount during the four years we shared together. One of the best lessons was that she loved to be outside walking. She loved the chance to use her senses, to move in the fresh air, to stop and sniff when she wanted to. Our daily walks were the highlight of our days and that has not changed for me today, albeit the dogs I share the walks with, have.
That walk could be said to have started what became a movement and grew into a charity. Schnauzerfest is a busy, lean, effective charity helping a lot of dogs every year. I am very lucky to have the support of many good people who are committed to making a positive difference in the world.
If posting photos of dogs on walks on social media seems too simple an act to make any difference, take a look at Schnauzerfest and I promise you’ll feel differently.