Animal Shelter Wants Pokemon Go Players To Walk Dogs

Here's one way to make the game even better.
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If you’re an enthusiastic Pokemon Go player, there’s an Indiana animal shelter that wants your help.

But Muncie Animal Shelter isn’t looking for assistance rounding up stray Rattattas. They’re hoping to get some volunteers to walk dogs, and since Pokemon Go enthusiasts are walking all over the place in search of Pokemon anyway, they’re the perfect candidates.

“The idea is that they take the dog on kind of an adventure for the day,” Phil Peckinpaugh, shelter director, told The Huffington Post.

Peckinpaugh, who said both his nephew and daughter play the game, got the idea after noticing “droves” of people all over the city of Muncie hunting Pokemon with their games.

“It would be great if every one of those individuals had one of our dogs with them,” he said. He teamed up with Sam Wiser, an intern in the mayor’s office, and she created the volunteer ad that’s since gone viral on Facebook.

Phil Peckinpaugh and shelter dog Winston, catching a Squirtle.
Phil Peckinpaugh and shelter dog Winston, catching a Squirtle.
Muncie Animal Shelter

It’s also gotten plenty of attention IRL, with many people responding who want to walk dogs.

“We have a line of people here right now,” he said Wednesday morning.

People walking a dog while playing the game — or really, anyone playing the game — should be careful to pay attention to their surroundings and not inadvertently walk into traffic or another dangerous situation.

And even if you live nowhere near Muncie, there’s a good chance your local animal shelter would be happy to have you volunteer to bring a dog out on your pursuit of Zubats.

Peckinpaugh encourages other shelters use the idea to get volunteers.

“I hope it catches on like fire,” he said.

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