The West Ranch High School track and field team’s fourth annual “Run With Dogs” event was in full swing on Sunday morning at the Santa Clarita Valley Animal Care Center with some dogs getting the opportunity to be socialized and get some exercise.
The morning was filled with lots of love and running loops with three of the dogs at the shelter – Bonnie, MJ and Shyla.
Karen Cirricione, co-head of the girls’ cross country team and assistant track coach at West Ranch, wanted to start the event because it included a lot of her passions.
“I love coaching. I love teaching. I love running and I love animals, especially rescue animals, animals that need love and that need to find their homes. So, it was just kind of a way to blend all of those passions,” Cirricione said.
Cirricione said this was important to her because of the growing epidemic of overflowing animal shelters – calling it one small way to help the community and to help the care center.
“This is just one way to try and help them. It’s such a win-win for the dogs. It’s a win-win for the kids. The dogs are being socialized. The dogs are getting exercise. They come out of their kennels,” Cirricione said. “And when the community sees these dogs and their social media posts with kids running happy, they’re so much more adoptable.”
She added that the event fills her cup up, describing it as “magic.”
Avery Prestridge, a junior at West Ranch, said it was her first year participating in “Run with Dogs” and that being with her team and the dogs was her version of an ideal Sunday.
“Getting the dog socialized definitely helps with their chances of getting adopted, because it can help with their behaviors and how the dogs are brought up,” Prestridge said. “Instead of just being in a cage, being only exposed to the workers, the employees, who are amazing but to be with other people and to be with younger kids, ’cause those are the types of families that the dogs would be going into.”
Prestridge got the chance to run with Shyla, and said it was a lot of fun.
Austin Duenas and Gianna Matranga, both seniors at West Ranch, have participated all four years, both saying they loved the opportunity.
Duenas said he enjoys doing “Run with Dogs” because it gives the dogs a chance to help their well-being in socialization. He got the opportunity to run with MJ Sunday morning.
“I feel like it definitely helps their mental health and well-being in socialization, because they don’t really get to do this very often, especially at the shelter. Also, considering how many dogs there are,” Duenas said.
When asked why he participated all four years, he said the event felt like something that helps the dogs get adopted. Duenas added that he hopes the community sees the team’s efforts in helping the shelter and getting dogs adopted.
“I hope it shows that, especially for our school, that the students here do more for the community than this, going to school, doing everything and it shows that we actually care about other things besides school,” Duenas said. “It shows that we wouldn’t ask for awareness of other things. And it shows that we just want to spread love around the community and (help) people out.”
Matranga got to run with Shyla as well and said she was so sweet, energetic and loving. She also said it is nice to see her teammates come out and participate.
“I have a dog personally, and anytime I come out here, I see the dogs, and I’m like, ‘I just want to adopt them myself.’ But it just means a lot to me that us as a whole team can come together and kind of give back and show our love to the community and these dogs and help get them adopted,” Matranga said.
She added that posting the dogs on her and her teammates’ own social media gives the dogs a better chance at finding their “furever” home.
“So, we post them on our social media so everyone knows their situations and like what they’re like. And I think it really helps because it kind of shows you a different perspective than just like seeing a post online of just them in the kennel and saying they need to be adopted (versus what) it’s like they’re actually out,” Matranga said. “You see that they’re social, they’re friendly, and that it helps get some exposure when we’re all here doing it.”
Kelsey Tarleton, volunteer programs coordinator at the shelter, said it is wonderful seeing the West Ranch track and field team coming out to help with the dogs.
Tarleton said that because there are so many dogs coming in and out of the shelter, people need to know that the SCV Animal Care Center exists and understand that people will never know what they will find until they come to visit.
“We have such a variety of different animals, breeds, personalities, all of it. So, it’s really important that people know we’re here and know what we have,” Tarleton said.
