DOGS HAVE THEIR DAY IN PARK:VOLUNTEERS TAKE SHELTER ANIMALS FOR FRESH AIR, BREAK FROM CROWDED KENNELS AS PART OF NEW PROGRAM

A good dog, it is said, is a tired dog, which is why a new group of volunteers from Windsor have begun walking dogs from the Sonoma County Animal Shelter. Monday they took the kennel-bound canines out with the pack -- albeit on a leash -- to explore the woods and trails of Windsor's Foothill Regional Park.

"All behaved very well. They were very excited," said Lucy Lange, a Wikiup resident who was on the group's inaugural walk with a half-dozen shelter dogs and their handlers.

"It will make them better pets for somebody. They are all loving animals. It's nice to get them out and get them sunshine and fresh air."

Dogs at the animal shelter off Airport Boulevard get out of their kennels daily, to visit a play area and several dog runs. Trained volunteers help there and even take dogs home for a weekend, or for a walk or jog away from the facility.

But going on field trips to places such as Foothill Park is new. Initially planned for the first Monday of each month, the program is expected to expand beyond once a month and to other venues, such as Riverfront Park off Eastside Road near Windsor and perhaps even Spring Lake Park in Santa Rosa.

"We will do more in the Windsor area, because that's close to where we are," said shelter volunteer coordinator Greg Mortensen.

The weak economy has increased the shelter's population as more pet owners relinquish their animals, perhaps because they have to move places where it's not possible to keep a pet.

"We have 38 adoptable dogs," Mortensen said, noting that a year ago there were 10 or 15. "The more crowded the kennel, the more anxiety and noise."

That makes a group walk all the more important.

"We have a lot of dogs that need to get out," said Ed Kimball, the shelter's animal behaviorist, who trains dogs to work with volunteers. "It decreases shelter stress. The dogs are worn out and relaxed. It quiets them down."

Walking the dogs gives Lange some exercise, but she also enjoys seeing the impact on the animals.

"They just plopped down in the grass and didn't move they were so tired. You could tell they were happy," she said.

To become a volunteer walker, classes are offered at the shelter. The next are Tuesday and Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m.

More information is available from Mortensen at 565-7116 or gmortens@sonoma-county.org.