Ally Powell

I dedicated my 15 minute walk challenge to my new rescue dog. When we adopted our six year old Pomeranian mix from Mexico two months ago, it was clear that she had never been properly exercised. Her muscles were underdeveloped, she was unfamiliar with leashes and collars, and she dreaded going outside (or even leaving the couch, for that matter). Many of my more active friends questioned my decision to adopt an older small dog, and assured me that she would never be fit enough to join me on hiking trips. Admittedly, it would be much easier to allow her to be an indoor dog, but I decided to use the Eco Challenge as an opportunity to bring us both out of our comfort zones. After walking 15 minutes every day for two weeks, she has much more energy and spring in her step. It's still hard to get her down the front steps, but once we are outside, she clearly enjoys all the smells, sights and sounds of Portland in fall. Yesterday we walked non stop for 40 minutes - her longest exercise session yet. I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks.