Nerry and Scully aren\u2019t names of Pok\u00e9mon. They\u2019re two dogs at the Gastineau Humane Society up for adoption. And the shelter is encouraging anybody playing Pok\u00e9mon Go to grab one of them, or any of the other adoption dogs, and give them some exercise.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot only do you get to walk around and hatch your Pok\u00e9mon Eggs and look for all these Pok\u00e9mon, the dog gets to go with you and get a nice walk,\u201d GHS volunteer coordinator Kendra Bolin said on the phone Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur dogs do get out, but it\u2019s not the same as getting to go on a walk with a new person,\u201d she continued.<\/p>\n
Bolin plays the popular smartphone game herself and walks dogs at the same time. She recommended how to do both safely.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can go into settings in Pok\u00e9mon Go and hit battery saver, and when you turn your phone upside down, it blacks out the screen to save battery. Then, you can put it in your pocket and walk around and it will vibrate when there\u2019s a Pok\u00e9mon nearby,\u201d Bolin said.<\/p>\n
That way, \u201cif they\u2019re walking around with an animal, they can better pay attention to what\u2019s around them.\u201d<\/p>\n
[Discovering Pok\u00e9mon Go in Juneau<\/a>]<\/p>\n GHS put out a call for volunteer Pok\u00e9mon Go dog walkers last week in a Facebook post<\/a>, which got about 200 likes and 220 shares.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was huge. We couldn\u2019t believe how many people responded to just the Facebook post. It was our highest viewed post ever,\u201d GHS deputy director Samantha Blankenship said on the phone Tuesday.<\/p>\n The organization got the idea from shelters elsewhere in the country.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a way to promote people just coming to the shelter and maybe seeing an animal that they wouldn\u2019t necessarily think about,\u201d Blankenship said.<\/p>\n While the Facebook post was successful, Blankenship said no Pok\u00e9mon Go players have actually come in yet to walk a dog.<\/p>\n [Pok\u00e9<\/span>Mob moves through downtown Juneau<\/a>]<\/p>\n GHS adoption dogs are walked by staff and other volunteers, and get playtime in the yard, but she said they can always use extra exercise.<\/p>\n Pok\u00e9mon Go players in Juneau are encouraged to grab a dog for a leashed walk Monday through Friday, anytime from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., or on Saturday between 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. The outing can be a short 20-minute walk close to the shelter or a longer walk on a nearby trail.<\/p>\n And Bolin said there is some good Pok\u00e9mon Go action to be had.<\/p>\n \u201cFred Meyer has got a Pok\u00e9 Stop and all of that down there. Anybody who goes and walks the Airport [Dike] Trail, there\u2019s a gym, several Pok\u00e9 Stops out that way, so it really just depends on where they decide to go. Walking out at the glacier, there\u2019s at least four Pok\u00e9 Stops and a gym,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The shelter currently has six dogs up for adoption, including 6-year-old black lab mix Nerry and 2-year-old blue-nose pit bull Scully.<\/p>\n [The Empire is dropping ‘lures’ daily for Pok\u00e9mon Go trainers<\/a>]<\/p>\n \u2022 Contact reporter Lisa Phu at 523-2246 or lisa.phu@juneauempire.com.<\/p>\n Related stories:<\/p>\n City seeks housing proposals for parking lot downtown<\/a><\/p>\n Candy on the left, dentists on the right in Mu\u00f1<\/span>oz, Parish House race<\/a><\/p>\n Juneau artists, police promote community dialogue on diversity, peace<\/a><\/p>\n