Animals will get exercise equipment

Dogs at the Mat-Su Animal Care and Regulation shelter may soon be leaping for joy as a result of a donation received by the borough this week.

Kathy Ayers, secretary of the Matanuska Agility Canine Handlers, presented an $810 check to Animal Care and Regulation Chief Officer Dave Allison at the borough Tuesday. The check, Ayers said, is intended to provide canine agility equipment to provide more exercise options for pets at the shelter who are awaiting homes. Allison said he's presently working on a plan to purchase the equipment.

"It's something to occupy the animals' minds at the shelter," Allison said, "and it'll be an alternative to the dog run we have in the back."

The money will go toward more than agility equipment, Allison said. He and shelter staff are working to build another penned area, filled with topsoil, for added exercise room. He's hoping the area will be available for local groups to use as well, and discussed with Ayers the potential of using the area as a space for clinics or classes.

"There's a lot of stuff we want to do," Allison said, "and it takes good groups to support that. We've gotten tremendous support from groups trying to make our borough and community better for the animals."

Matanuska Agility Canine Handlers holds agility classes and trials for purebred and mixed-breed dogs. They have regular board and general membership meetings the third Monday of every month at 7 p.m., generally held at Nobody's Inn. For more information about the group, call 352-DOGS, or 352-2647. More information and helpful links are also available at their Web site, at www.alaskaagility.org.