Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Cross Country

Jackson cross country runners make a pack with Humane Society of Southeast Missouri


Jackson’s junior high cross country coach Jenn Lipe has volunteered
at the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri for over 15 years, and this year
she decided to have runners from Jackson help make a difference in a dog’s life
as well.


On two separate occasions last week, cross country athletes from
mainly the high school and also the junior high ran the course at Osage Park
with numerous dogs that are currently being sheltered at the Humane Society.


The idea came about after Lipe was tagged in an article on Facebook
about another cross country team doing the same thing in another state.


“[Our runners] loved it,” Lipe said. “They didn’t really look at it
as a workout — they looked at it more as a fun activity. It was a wonderful
experience to see.


“The dogs were really excited when they got there — they didn’t
really know what they were getting to do. Some of them had been in the shelter
a week or longer and didn’t get much exercise besides a morning walk, so they
were hyper and excited to be out with the other dogs.”


Each dog that was selected to participate ran anywhere from one and
a half to three miles. “[The dogs] were very thankful for water at the end,
Lipe laughed. “They were lying down in their crates on the way home.”


Even though cross country season begins in a few weeks, Lipe would
like to still incorporate some Sunday night runs with the dogs. This will also
continue in the offseason and the summer leading up to next season.


Lipe wants the runners to see this as more than just a fun
experience because it’s also a way for each of them to give back. Runners took
to social media and posted a photo of themselves with the dog they were running
with, which led to two dogs being adopted after the first run.


Any team can participate in these runs as the group is now titled
The Humane Society of Southeast Missouri’s Pack Runners.


If interested in joining the Pack Runners or adopting a pet,
contact the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri at (573) 334-5837. Ask for
Jennifer Sokolowski if you are wanting to join the pack.

Nick McNeal covers high school sports, college sports and community events for The Cash-Book Journal. He graduated from Southeast Missouri State University with a degree in multimedia journalism and has lived in Cape Girardeau County for the past five years. He can be reached at cbjsports@socket. net.

You May Also Like

City News

A 26-year-old Mississippi man was disarmed, arrested and charged with murder following an early morning shooting spree on Wednesday, Dec. 22, at the Town...

City News

A 58-year-old Jackson man drowned after going into Jackson City Park’s Rotary Lake during the July 4th firework show Sunday night. The man’s body...

City News

Americans frustrated by the policies of the current administration in Washington have let their feelings be known in large sporting venues across the country...

Education

Former Jackson High School athletes will soon be honored in a new hall of fame program approved by the Jackson R-2 School Board during...