BOZEMAN, Mont. — In Bozeman, one local business owner is making a difference for dogs at the Heart of the Valley Animal Shelter.
Cooper Raasch owns Ruff Riders Mobile Dog Gym, and he donates his time and equipment to keep the dogs at the shelter happy and healthy while they await adoption.
“We are using the slat mills to help dogs gain confidence and a little bit of exercise,” said Raasch. “We teach dogs to stop, and when they become more adept, we can actually teach them how to walk or trot or sprint all out, just on verbal commands. And so you can kind of modulate workouts to fit each individual dog.”
Dogs weighing anywhere between 10 and upwards of 200 pounds can get their steps in at the Ruff Riders gym, and the workout is also beneficial for dogs who may have special needs.
“If a dog has reactivity or allergies or they’re just afraid of certain environments, they can get their daily or weekly allotment of exercise with me instead,” said Raasch.
Meliss Tatangelo, behavior and enrichment manager for Heart of the Valley, says for dogs at the shelter, the experience can also reduce stress and help them be more comfortable around others.
“A lot of the dogs that are in the shelter have never experienced anything like this, and so with Cooper coming back week to week, you can see the dogs develop and kind of watch them build their confidence and get that energy out in a really nice, constructive way,” said Tatangelo.
Tatangelo says the confidence they’re building makes them more willing to meet potential adopters, bringing them one step closer to finding a family.
The three dogs featured in this story, Tye-Dye, Judd and Bean are looking for their forever homes. For more information about them and all the dogs available for adoption at the Heart of the Valley shelter click here.
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