This STL Hiking Program Brings Shelter Dogs and Humans Together

For decades, the Animal Protective Association of Missouri (APA) has offered shelter from the rain and cold to animals in need of a roof over their heads. Now, it’s offering fresh air, sunshine, and the great outdoors through an innovative program called Hike with a Hound.

“Hiking has a soft spot in my heart,” says Sarah Javier, president and CEO of APA. “I feel so rejuvenated. It’s like a reset. I feel it’s that way for the animals, too, and it’s good for our staff to get out of the shelter.”

The program launched about two and a half years ago as a chance for people to learn about APA while hiking with Javier and a dog. It proved so popular that it has expanded and frequently sells out. The hikes also build on APA’s popular Pack Walks, which are about a mile in length near the group’s headquarters in the Brentwood neighborhood of St. Louis County.

The hikes range from two to four miles and are limited to 15 dogs, chosen by the APA’s behavioral staff for their ability to socialize with people and other dogs, as well as their skill at walking with a leash or harness. Most of the hiking hounds weigh at least 40 pounds “because we have more big dogs than small dogs, and they need a physical outlet, like a hike,” Javier says. “For the dogs, it’s a great way to smell things and socialize with humans and each other.”

Human hikers register online, answer a few questions about their comfort and experience levels with dogs, and pay a $20 fee. Ideally, pet and human bond on the trail, go home together, and live happily ever after. In that case, APA offers same-day adoptions for fees ranging from $100 to $600 per dog. The group also offers Foster to Adopt, which allows a potential owner to take a pet home for a “date” or a week or so to see if they’re a good fit.

But the hikes attract many people with goals other than adoption. An occasional hiker, Alicia Homeier attended APA’s event in November at Cliff Cave County Park in south St. Louis County after enjoying a Pack Walk with friends. 

“I’ve been stalking the APA website for volunteer opportunities. When I saw they also had hikes, I wanted to give it a try. I’m in a one-bedroom, so I don’t really have the space for one of these guys,” she says of Bubbles, her companion for the day. “But maybe someday.” 

Though some dogs have found forever homes immediately after a hike, the APA has reaped bigger benefits from hikers sharing their experience on social media. “When our hikers share pictures, not only do friends see an amazing, adoptable animal, but it breaks down the perception of shelter pets as broken or unfriendly,” Javier says. “Those things just aren’t true.”

Brooke Forsberg showed up for her second APA hike with those intentions. Owner of a Boston terrier/shih tzu mix and a Boston terrier/beagle mix, Forsberg also enjoys walking with the bigger dogs, such as her partner, Baxter, “just getting to know them. It would be great if one of the walkers adopts a dog, but it’s great having the posts on social media to show how well-behaved these dogs can be.”

Their good manners were obvious on the singletrack River Bluff Trail. When cyclists approached, a member of APA’s staff at the front or back of the group alerted the others. The hikers and dogs stepped aside and waited patiently until the cyclists passed.

By the end of two and a half miles, the dogs were calmer, an effect that can last for days. Javier notes that the hike gives the animals a chance to release pent-up energy so they can make a better impression on potential owners while in the shelter.

“When I heard there was a way to get out with the shelter dogs, I wanted to be part of it,” says Laurie Sax, who hiked with Feisty but adopted a pit bull/Lab mix through another program. “This is such a good way to give them exposure to the outdoors, exposure to people, and to share their story.”

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GET HIKING
Because of the growing popularity of Hike with a Hound, the APA scheduled five events for winter and spring 2025. The remaining hikes begin at noon and include:

April 4: Bee Tree County Park, St. Louis County, 1.8 miles

April 25: Forest Park, St. Louis City, 2 miles

May 16: Laumeier Sculpture Park, St. Louis County, 1.8 miles

APA transports the dogs to the trailhead and provides water, poop bags, and treats for hikers to tend to the dogs. The shelter’s staff leads, trails, and mingles with the group, communicating regularly, and will reassign dogs if necessary. Registration is $20 per hike.

For more information on events and adoption, go to apamo.org.

Author: Kathleen Nelson is a contributor to Terrain. 

Top image: Laurie Sax and Feisty (right) take a break along the River Bluff Trail at Cliff Cave County Park during the APA’s Hike with a Hound program. (Kathleen Nelson)