Shelter Volunteer Walks 50 Dogs On His 50th Birthday To Raise Money For His Furry Friends

On your birthday, it’s always good to celebrate by doing something special with the ones you love.

For one man, that was walking dogs — 50 of them, on his 50th birthday.

Alex Johns loves animals — “more than people,” he says — so one of his favorite things is to volunteer as a dog walker at the Cincinnati Animal Care Shelter.

“Not only do I get to hang out with dogs, but I can be a voice for those that cannot speak and help these animals on their adoption journey,” Alex wrote on Facebook.

“Walking a shelter dog allows them to exercise, teaches them skills that many look for in a potential adoption and helps them build upon trust in people that they may have lost… not to mention what it does for me.”

So as Alex’s 50th birthday approached, he knew he wanted to use the occasion as an opportunity to further help the shelter and their dogs.

He came up with an inspiring idea: to walk 50 dogs on his 50th birthday.

It was an idea with a precedent for Alex: he says his grandfather made it his mission to visit all 50 states, and Alex accomplished his own goal of playing a round of golf in every state.

But this idea would allow him to raise money for a cause so close to his heart. He asked his friends to donate to the Cincinnati Animal CARE Humane Society, and Team de la Vega sponsored a match up to $5,000.

On his big day, Alex accomplished his feat of walking 50 different dogs. Donations came in, and Alex exceeded his initial fundraising goal of $5,000.

With donation matching, Cincinnati Animal Care is set to receive nearly $12,000, according to WLWT. That will go a long way in helping the shelter, which is currently over capacity with animals.

It was a big act of kindness — instead of getting birthday gifts, Alex decided to give back. But he says he got something out of it, too: the joy he gets from walking pets.

“It’s a blast, I love this,” Alex told WLWT. “This is the reward right here.”