94 SEPTEMBER 2019 WOMANSDAYMAGAZINE
Family / PET TALES
Pet hiking services
get pups off the sidewalk.
Dogs Hit
the Trails
{Pet^ of the^ Month}
Abigail
FOLLOW
Bonnets for Abigail
on FacebookIn 2016, when pit bull
Abigail arrived at Victoria
Frazier’s Love Is Fur
Ever Dog Rescue in Fort
Myers, FL, most of her
right ear was torn off—
she’d lost it after being
used as dog-fighting
bait. After surgery to
amputate the rest of
the ear, Victoria noticed
that the bandage looked
like a bow. She bought
Abigail a flowered
headband and started a
Facebook page, Bonnets
for Abigail, to raise
awareness of animal
cruelty. The page took
off, and Abigail, who was
later adopted by Megan
and Jason Steinke, now
has over 300 “bonnets”
from supporters all
over the world. Now a
certified therapy dog
and the recipient of the
2017 American Humane
Hero Dog Award,
Abigail is “the picture of
courage,” says Megan.Brittany with
three of her
canine clients.T
hree years ago,
Denver resident
Brittany Redding
was stressed out,
working 60 hours
a week while in graduate school
full-time. The only thing that
helped was taking her four dogs
hiking. “That’s when it hit me that
I should do that as a job,” she says.
A fter graduating in June 2016,
she founded Take a Hike. Her
company, like a number of others
around the country, takes pups to
explore beyond the neighborhood.
Before tackling the trails,
Brittany meets with each dog and
his or her owner to get a sense
of the pet’s temperament. Thenshe schedules a meet-and-greet
with other pups who will join the
hike to be sure their personalities
mesh. Each excursion is about
two hours long and includes
transportation to and from the
trail for around $70 per outing.
“Hiking allows dogs to meet new
buddies and explore new trails,
smells, and wildlife,” she explains.
Michael Mizenko thinks sending
his whippet, Ajax, on weekly hikes
with Take a Hike has made Ajax
a happier dog. Over the past two
years, hiking has taught Ajax how
to stay sure-footed off pavement,
be more social, and remain calm
in the car. “It’s made him a flexible,
easygoing guy,” Michael says.