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Slideshow: Friends Of The Shelter Dogs Makes Splash At Benefit In Nelsonville

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NELSONVILLE, Ohio (WOUB) – Tubers, kayakers and canoers traveled to Adventure Pro Outdoors on Saturday, July 17, to float and paddle down the Hocking River to benefit the Friends of the Shelter Dogs, a volunteer organization whose purpose is to support local dog shelters with veterinary care, food donations and rehabilitative care.

Many at the event, both on the organizational and attendance sides, believe that there is unwarranted stigma attached with adopting a shelter animal.

“You’re taking it [shelter animals] from a difficult situation and giving it a better life,” said Kathy Gilkeson, who was kayaking with her family.

Brooke Ehrhardt, who works for Adventure Pro Outdoors, helped coordinate the event and said, “We’re all dog lovers, and we wanted to raise awareness about these organizations.”

More information about Friends of the Shelter Dogs can be found here:

https://www.fosdathens.com/

Spot, one of four shelter dogs present at the benefit for Friends of the Shelter Dogs and who are available for adoption, is seen outside of Adventure Pro Outdoors during the Doggy Paddle event, in Nelsonville, Ohio, on Saturday, July 17, 2021. [Joseph Scheller | WOUB]
Friends of the Shelter Dogs volunteers wait for the next group of river tubers and kayakers in between the sporadic rain showers, in Nelsonville, Ohio, on Saturday, July 17, 2021. [Joseph Scheller | WOUB]
Mindy Oehlers laughs with another volunteer while walking Spot during a benefit for the Friends of the Shelter Dogs, in Nelsonville, Ohio, on Saturday, July 17, 2021. “I think there’s a perception that they’re broken [the shelter dogs] or that there’s something wrong with them,” said Oehlers. “But there are a lot of times when dogs show up at shelters for reasons beyond their control. And they are grateful that you gave them a home and they’re usually the coolest dogs,” she concluded. [Joseph Scheller | WOUB]
Jeremy and Jessica Cox, left, walk back towards Adventure Pro Outdoors with their parents (not pictured) after participating in a river float benefit for Friends of the Shelter Dogs, in Nelsonville, Ohio, on Saturday, July 17, 2021. “It’s kind of win, win. We wanted to take our dad kayaking and there’s animals here too,” Cox said with a laugh. “It’s almost like there’s a different intent to adopting,” she continued, saying that adoption seems to be a more loving act. [Joseph Scheller | WOUB]
A mural painted on the side of Adventure Pro Outdoors is seen in Nelsonville, Ohio, on Saturday, July 17, 2021. [Joseph Scheller | WOUB]
Bryce Baxstrom, an employee at Adventure Pro Outdoors, plays with Spot, one of the dogs up for adoption at the Friends of the Shelter Dogs river floating benefit, in Nelsonville, Ohio, on Saturday, July 17, 2021. “I understand that they get you into a pet store and they get you playing with a puppy,” said Baxstrom. “But why would you go pay for a dog [from a store]? You never regret adopting a dog.” [Joseph Scheller | WOUB]
Tubers and kayaks float down the Hocking River during a benefit for Friends of the Shelter Dogs, in Nelsonville, Ohio, on Saturday, July 17, 2021. [Joseph Scheller | WOUB]
Bud Bucher tends to animals while working at the Athens County Dog Shelter, in Chauncey, Ohio, on Wednesday, July 14, 2021. Detective Ryan Gillette, the dog warden for the shelter, said that almost all of the food they use is donated or purchased by volunteers. [Joseph Scheller | WOUB]
Melanie Yoder, owner of Behavior Analysis Reform for Companions, works with an animal at the Athens County Dog Shelter, in Chauncey, Ohio, on Wednesday, July 14, 2021. Yoder, who also works with children with special needs, said there are many similarities in training modalities utilized with these two different groups. [Joseph Scheller | WOUB]
Freckles, a puppy at the Athens County Dog Shelter, looks out from his enclosure, in Chauncey, Ohio, on Wednesday, July 14, 2021. He has since been adopted. [Joseph Scheller | WOUB]
Melanie Yoder, owner of Behavior Analysis Reform for Companions, works with Lander, a husky, at the Athens County Dog Shelter, in Chauncey, Ohio, on Wednesday, July 14, 2021. Lander, who has a tear-duct condition which requires additional care, is a favorite of the trainers and staff at the Athens County Dog Shelter. [Joseph Scheller | WOUB]