This story about Zolo will explain how I became an active, passionate volunteer at Animal Charity of Ohio.
In early autumn of 2016, I watched a short Facebook video of a volunteer walking a shelter dog on the bike trail that passed just 50 yards from my place of employment. It was a handsome pit bull mix, and he was behaving so nicely.
Maybe two weeks later, I discovered—thanks to physically seeing him again walking with a volunteer on the trail—that the dog was “living” in the building across the street from where I worked. I had heard dogs barking inside that building many times but thought it was just a boarding kennel, as the signage suggested. That building, in fact, was the Canfield facility of Animal Charity of Ohio.
One day during a lunch break, I walked across the street for a kennel visit. I asked about a dog named Zolo, whom I had recently met on the trail. They took me to his kennel, and Zolo sat so proudly, as calm as could be, in front of his gate as we had our first meeting. I asked if I might come again and maybe take Zolo for a walk.
Well… one walk led to another—and then many more. As we walked, I could tell this boy deserved a loving home. We had been without a dog for over two years, so thoughts of adopting Zolo grew stronger.
Maybe not as strong with my wife, though. She had a valid point: the freedom we had without a dog was good for adventurous folks like us. But I was missing having a dog in the house, and I knew Zolo was a good one.
Zolo came to our house for a day visit and did quite well. I kind of convinced my wife to agree to us adopting him. However, we knew we would be gone for four days in early January and felt it would be best to wait until after that to make it official. I continued to visit and walk Zolo throughout December.
The weekend before Christmas, we decided to test Zolo with a weekend stay at our house—yes, fully decorated for the season. Zolo came in like he had already been living there. He instantly made himself comfortable in the family room, lying on the bed we had bought for him. We allowed him to wander and explore while we casually followed.
He really enjoyed the space our fenced-in backyard provided. He quickly figured out that by standing next to the sliding door, he’d be let out to play—or to take care of business. He also almost instantly understood that the door was how he should ask to go outside to potty.
Originally, the plan was to return Zolo to the shelter until after our trip, but he did so well that my wife suggested we just keep him. After almost two weeks in our home before our January trip, Zolo stayed with our adult children while we traveled. He did great in our absence and was happy to see us when we returned.
All of this was surprising because Zolo was already 3 years old and had lived in the shelter for much of his life. Zolo has since enjoyed lots of walks, hikes, and adventures with us over the years.
Fast forward to 2025—Zolo is still with us. He’s now nearly 12 years old and has slowed noticeably due to age and several surgeries. Properly owning a pet is not a cheap process. He still tries to chase squirrels or cats that dare enter our yard. Over the past year, he has lost most of his hearing.
We’re not sure how much longer Zolo will be with us, but he will always be loved and spoiled.
The experience with Zolo, and seeing the dogs across the street going in and out for brief potty breaks each day, started me thinking about giving other dogs a chance to enjoy something more. There may have been others walking dogs, but I never really noticed them—maybe they came after I had already gone home from work.
Instead of eating my lunch as planned, I started walking across the street to walk shelter dogs. My position at work allowed me to eat lunch while working afterward. Dog walking started with just one or two dogs each day (Monday through Friday, weather permitting), and it stayed that way for more than five years.
As the dog population grew, I shortened the walks so I could walk more dogs each day. Having the bike trail nearby made things much easier. Walking dogs became a passion. It actually hurt on days when I couldn’t walk them for some reason.
The COVID era severely impacted dog walks. I believe four to six months passed where I was only able to walk a few dogs at random times. I was afraid some dogs might forget the bonds we’d started building. But as it turned out, most dogs picked up right where we left off—and we were back in business.
I’m sure my boss probably knew, but never questioned me, when my one-hour walks turned into 75-minute ones. I eventually began walking 3–4 dogs during my lunch break every day. I continued that routine until I retired in October 2024.
Since then, Animal Charity of Ohio has relocated to a larger facility, which nearly doubled my driving time. My schedule has changed to fewer days, but longer stays—meaning more walks. Unfortunately, there’s no bike trail nearby anymore, but we’ve found other ways to offer dogs long walks.
Over the years, I’ve likely walked close to 600+ dogs. Some bonds have been stronger than others. A few dogs even joined me on off-site adventures after work or on Saturday mornings. We’ve enjoyed hikes in the woods and visits to other local trail systems.
There was one dog, Spike, who wouldn’t go on a real walk with me—until I took him someplace new in my car. That small change helped him move past his fear. Seeing a dog experience joy on a hike is a deeply rewarding feeling. Many shelter dogs have never had that kind of experience. Some only knew life at the end of a rope or chain, often treated poorly. Many were abused or neglected—rarely, if ever, seeing the outdoors.
I’m thrilled to see that Animal Charity of Ohio now hosts “Field Trip Friday,” where staff and volunteers take groups of dogs offsite for hikes and walks. These dogs need to experience joy and hope so they don’t give up.
Unfortunately, multiple rescue facilities in our area are operating at or beyond capacity. One sad reality: black dogs often get overlooked. Younger puppies are typically adopted first, leaving many senior dogs (7+ years old) in the shelter for far too long—when they may be the ones needing adoption the most.
There is currently (2025) one dog at Animal Charity of Ohio who is 9 years old and just “celebrated” his seventh year living in the shelter. His name is Onyx, and he’s such a good boy. Thankfully, he recently met a personal “angel”—influencer Sir Yacht, who is now on a mission to get Onyx adopted.
Watching the transformation of a dog—from a horrific start in the shelter to a happy adoption—is my daily motivation. One major part of my volunteer work is capturing photos and videos to help promote adoptable dogs on Facebook.
You can follow me at Doug Sears Dog Walks etc to see the wonderful dogs I walk and learn about others in need from local shelters.
Visit the Animal Charity of Ohio website to learn more or to donate. They rely entirely on charitable donations—and help is always welcome. You can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram to stay updated on their daily work.
If you can make time (not just find it), even one hour here and there, to volunteer at a local shelter, you might just help save the life of a rescue animal. And God knows—every shelter could use the help.
#adoptdontshop
YOU CAN’T BUY LOVE, BUT YOU CAN RESCUE IT.