By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
It was a perfect match – dogs with a lot of pent-up energy and football players training for the fall season.
Earlier this month, Bowling Green State University football players went to the Wood County Humane Society to give the dogs there a welcome workout. The effort was one of the team’s “Give Back Fridays,” explained Terry Malone, offensive line coach and coordinator.
The purpose of the program that started in February is to acquaint the football players with Bowling Green and make them feel a part of the community.
“This is a small community. When our guys step away from the stadium, they are noticed,” Malone said. “We want to make sure they get noticed for doing something good.”
On this particular Friday, the good they were doing was for the dogs and cats at the humane society. The 20 hulking offensive and defensive linemen took eager dogs for walks and pet cats craving some attention.
Cameron Stage, from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, took an enthusiastic dog named Bourbon for a stroll.
“He’s high energy,” Stage said. “I think he enjoyed it as much as we did. It’s fun to do something other than football.”
Many of the athletes said they had dogs back home that they have been missing.
Since there were more athletes than dogs, some of the team had to wait till dogs returned from one walk to take them on another.
“I love dogs,” said DeMontae Haigler, a football player from Montgomery, Alabama. “That’s why I was looking forward to today.”
“You got any cats we can walk,” Haigler asked with a smile.
The pairing up of the football players and the dogs was a perfect match, said April McCurdy, behavior and training coordinator at the Wood County Humane Society.
The dogs benefit from socializing with humans – and of course, they also enjoy the exercise.
“Being locked up all the time can be pretty stressful for the dogs,” McCurdy said.
The humane society has some volunteer dog walkers – but the organization can always use more.
“It’s so nice to have willing walkers,” she said.
And for the football players, it was a chance to get to know their new home away from home.
“We want them to touch base with the community,” Malone said. “We want to give back to a community that’s good to us.”
So far this year on “Give Back Fridays,” the team has read to students at local schools, helped out at playgrounds, and moved furniture at the Cocoon shelter.
“That’s something we’re good at,” Malone said of moving furniture. “With these guys, it was no big deal.”
The team is looking for other groups that could use some help on Fridays.
“We’re always open to anyone who needs a hand. We’re here to help,” Malone said. “We want to instill a sense of service in our guys, so they know the importance of being part of the community.”
Haigler said the Fridays are a nice break from regular practice.
“I enjoy them a lot. It gives me an opportunity to see the community,” he said. And in this case – getting to play with dogs was an extra bonus.
There was one stipulation, however, for Malone.
“I had to promise my wife I wouldn’t bring home a dog,” he said with a grin.
