CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cleveland Monsters are in the final stretch of the regular season and hopeful that a Calder Cup Playoff push is in their future. While things intensify on the ice for the Blue Jackets top affiliate, they’re finding time to invest efforts in a new initiative with the Cleveland Animal Protective League. The Monsters and Cleveland APL have teamed up to launch Dog’s Day Out Cleveland, which is a program that allows volunteers to spend a day out and about with a shelter dog.
“We’re really excited about our Dog’s Day Out Cleveland program. We have been supported by VCA charities to put this program in place. I think we’re one of just 20 shelters in the country right now who are piloting this,” said Cleveland APL’s VP of Operations Ayse Dunlap.
Monsters forward Joseph Labate and his fiance, Clara Cott, joined Monsters defenseman Cole Clayton at the Cleveland APL to jumpstart the program. Their field trip with rescues Spoon and Bill included stops at Edgewater Park for a walk, then Luca’s Barkery for a treat.
“It’s super rewarding. Everybody in the community seems really into it, which is amazing. I would say that doing it once a week for us is probably something we’ll look into,” said Cott.
“We had an absolute blast. Spoon was great. She’s such a friendly dog, so we would definitely do it again,” said Labate.
“I think it’s unbelievable. They said that there’s a huge adoption rate because of the program in other areas, and I think it’s awesome they’re bringing it to Cleveland. Hopefully, I can get there and take a dog out a few more times and, hopefully, some more people will adopt them,” said Clayton.
The Cleveland APL says the program is not only great for the pups who get to explore outside of the kennel but also for the volunteers who benefit from canine companionship, too.
“It’s going to be wonderful for the dogs who get to go out. They go on a field trip. They experience the world outside the shelter, get a break, maybe meet an adoptive family and find that home, so that’s really exciting. But it’s also great for the people who are participating, too. Maybe you’re traveling a lot and can’t have a pet or there’s just some other situation, and you want to spend time with an animal. Well, you get to come here, take a dog out for the day, have a great experience, go on an adventure, a hike. Then, you can bring the animal back, and you both benefited from it,” said Dunlap.
Scheduling and registration for Dog’s Day Out Cleveland is easy. Field trips can be booked for Fridays and Saturdays as early as 30 days in advance and up to 24 hours prior. You can spend as much time as you want with your furry friend as long as they’re returned to the Cleveland APL by 5 p.m.
To learn more information or to sign up for a field trip, visit the Cleveland APL's website.
Carly Mascitti is a sports anchor at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on Twitter @carlymascitti.
