Apollo learns to swim at The Paw

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) -The Paw has teamed up with BENCHS to provide pool time for the shelter dogs. As a new corporate sponsor, the Paw is opening it’s pool as an in kind donation. Last Wednesday, Apollo the dog marked exactly one year at BENCHS which makes him the shelter’s longest resident dog. To mark the anniversary, he got a surprise swimming lesson.

Amy Weir, General Manager at The Paw, says that swimming is a great form of exercise and it’s easier on the animal’s joints. Executive Director of BENCHS, Dede Barton says that visiting a different environment to swim helps the dogs cope with the stress of shelter life.

Although it was Apollo’s first time in the water at eight years old, he proved that you can teach an old dog new tricks. Apollo was a bit wary of the water at first, but the lure of the tennis ball was to much for him to resist. With a little encouragement from the staff at BENCHS Apollo was dog paddling like a champ in no time.

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