On His 50th Birthday, Man Walked 50 Dogs From The Shelter In One Day!

Depending on who you ask, you will get a few million different answers to the question “What makes a birthday perfect?”. But, for a man from Ohio, the perfect celebration of his 50^th birthday meant walking 50 dogs.

And, to be honest, that seems like a pretty sweet way to spend a special day. Alex Johns, the birthday man, is a volunteer at the Cincinnati Animal CARE.

His idea to walk 50 dogs on his birthday (or the “Fifty by 50” initiative, as he calls it) is his way of raising awareness for homeless dogs. This idea was inspired by his grandfather, who had visited 49 U.S. states. Johns decided he wanted to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps and play golf in all 50 states before turning 50.

But, as the day in question approached, he started thinking he could do more. Not only did he take the 50 dogs on a walk, but he also raised money for the shelter. His original goal was to raise $5,000, but he easily surpassed that target with the help of many kind donors.

Even corporations pitched in. For example, Team DLV Realtors promised to match the donations. After all the money came in, they had raised over $11,000. Johns even made an appearance on Local 12 News, where he shared his hope that people will pitch in for this cause in any way they can.

Donating time, money, taking a dog home, or even fostering a stray for a day can make all the difference for these dogs. After walking all 50 dogs, Johns was pretty worn out, but he ended the day with a big smile on his face.

He had a blast, the dogs had a blast, so it’s safe to say the initiative was even more successful than anyone could have hoped.

Image Credit: Cincinnati Animal CARE