A Dog's Blog: Hiking for the love of animals

Hi y'all, Oreo the Shih Tzu here.

My pawrents and my little brother, Ozzy, love helping a good cause, especially one that involves animals. Unfortunately the Asheville Humane Society won't be having their annual fundraiser so the opportunity to win a free stay at The Lion and the Rose is postponed for now.

In the meantime, my pawrents have been baking homemade dog biscuits. They enjoy visiting with the shelter dogs and donating the biscuits to the Asheville Humane Society. I must say I am jealous that they don't let me and Ozzy have all of them. But we are happy to know that other dogs get to enjoy them while they are waiting to find their furever home. Those biscuits are so yummy and they are made with the spent grains from the beer our Dad brews for our guests.

These homemade biscuits will be included on our Bed and Biscuit dog weeks. Be sure to keep that in mind if you want to bring your pupper along  while staying at our inn. My pawrents are also thinking of selling these gourmet treats. Keep an eye for more details on that later this year. Didn't mean to get off on a tangent but I can't help it when treats are involved.  Food is a big motivator for me.

What I really want to talk about today is hiking to support two great non-profit organizations.

My Mom found the Tails and Trails event on the Blue Ridge Humane Society's website. She signed us up to participate. Ozzy and I were excited and couldn't wait to see where we would be going. And of course, we were happy to help such a great cause. The registration fee proceeds support Conserving Carolina and the programs of Blue Ridge Humane Society that provide new homes for pets in need, support services for local pets and their owners, and more! Sometimes being an inn dog is a ruff job but someone needs to do it.

What a fun day exploring trails and helping two wonderful local organizations, Conserving Carolina and the Blue Ridge Humane Society. There were three hiking options to choose from for this event. We have hiked Bearwallow Mountain a few times and as much as we love that trail, we decided to try a new one. The Oklawaha Greenway was our choice. It is approximately 3.25 miles of Greenway,  a paved pathway through vital wetland areas with little elevation changes. Conserving Carolina is a founding member of the Friends of Oklawaha Greenway, an organization that stewards the existing greenway path as well as advocates for extending its length with new greenway segments and connector routes.

We hiked most of the Greenway and finished at Pet's Own Place Dog Park, an off-leash area for sociable dogs to romp and play, which is adjacent to the Greenway. What a pawfect day! We had a nice walk on the Greenway, Ozzy and I took a few dips in the creek and then we both got to make some new furry friends at the dog park.

We all can't wait until next April to participate again!