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When This Animal Shelter Asked Pokémon Go Players To Walk Their Dogs, They Didn’t Expect This
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When This Animal Shelter Asked Pokémon Go Players To Walk Their Dogs, They Didn’t Expect This

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Like Pokémon Go? Like Dogs? Live in Indiana? Then get in touch with Muncie Animal Shelter because they want you to take their dogs for a walk while you’re out capturing Meowths and Rattatas.

“Trying to hatch an egg or catch rare Pokemon?” says the ad on the shelter’s Facebook page. “Come on down to the Muncie Animal Shelter to walk one of our dogs while you get your steps in! Just come to the front desk and say you are here for the Pokemon dogs!”

Phil Peckinpaugh, director of the shelter, said he got the idea after noticing people hunting Pokémon all over the city, so he joined forces with Sam Wiser, an intern at the mayor’s office, and together they came up with the ad that’s since been shared almost 25k times. So if you’re a fan of Pokémon go and you’re in the Muncie area then head on down to the animal shelter and Pika Pika Pikachoose a dog to walk!

More info: Facebook

An animal shelter in Muncie decided to use Pokémon Go to encourage people to volunteer to walk dogs

Shelter director Phil Peckinpaugh came up with the idea after seeing lots of people playing the game around town

Image credits: Muncie Animal Shelter

He played it with his daughter and realized that gamers could help the dogs get some exercise

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Image credits: Swans_Can_Be_Gay_

So he and an intern at the mayor’s office came up with the ad to encourage gamers to walk their dogs while out capturing Pokémon

Image credits: Lauren Kasdan

Just one hour after the initiative was announced, lines of children and adults appeared at the shelter volunteering to walk the dogs

Image credits: T Addelle Diedesch (left), Emily Atkinson (right)

“There are people walking dogs [right now], posting pics on their Instagrams and social media. That exposure for the dogs is really quite epic,” he told Buzzfeed

Image credits: Muncie Animal Shelter

This dog seems to be able to see Pokémon even without a smartphone!

Image credits: MimiGlamourTS

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Other dogs however have no idea what’s going on…

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Image credits: Muncie Animal Shelter

“Kids, they love it!”

Image credits: Karen Hastedt Borovsky (left), Unknown (right)

The ad has so far been shared almost 25k times on Facebook

Image credits: Trista Sydloski-Tesch (left), Kelsey Johnson (right)

And as you can see, the dogs are now getting plenty of exercise!

Image credits: Piotr Grabiec

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crabcrab avatar
Hans
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You can think of this game, or even of smartphone usage what you want. It, however, is fascinating to see how positive side effects can be leveraged despite all skepticism. And do not be too skeptical about sustaining the effort: making the first move is quite important, and I am pretty sure at least some of those who now walked a dog found joy in that beyond the pokemon hunt.

kristine_dow avatar
Kris Dow
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Apparently some of the folks who came to walk ended up just adopting the dog, they got along so well.

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davidsvolunteers avatar
LiveEclectic
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Such an awesome idea. My dog has definitely been getting ALOT more walking time. Thanks Pokemon GO! XD

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crabcrab avatar
Hans
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You can think of this game, or even of smartphone usage what you want. It, however, is fascinating to see how positive side effects can be leveraged despite all skepticism. And do not be too skeptical about sustaining the effort: making the first move is quite important, and I am pretty sure at least some of those who now walked a dog found joy in that beyond the pokemon hunt.

kristine_dow avatar
Kris Dow
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Apparently some of the folks who came to walk ended up just adopting the dog, they got along so well.

Load More Replies...
davidsvolunteers avatar
LiveEclectic
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Such an awesome idea. My dog has definitely been getting ALOT more walking time. Thanks Pokemon GO! XD

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