CROSS-COUNTRY TO HELP ABUSED PETS POSTED BY KT-EDWARDS

Chilliwack, British Columbia — Frank Sapach and his dog Sheila's journey began two years ago when they set out to walk across Canada on one final adventure. Frank's health was failing him and in an attempt to get out of the house and find Sheila a new home, they began their walk from Chilliwack to Calgary. What initially started out as a short trip for Frank turned into an amazing cross-county trip on a bicycle to raise awareness for homeless and abused pets.  

After spending a month on foot, Sapach's health significantly improved, he decided to return back home to get a bike and cart for Shiela to turn their journey into a much longer one. The next time they left home,  Sapach and Sheila had only one goal in mind: to touch as many lives as they could.

Sapach and his beloved 9-year-old have been stopping in many different towns to spread their message. After receiving many positive responses from the people they encountered, Sapach quickly realized that he was onto something. He learned that a positive interaction with his beloved dog can be a much more effective way of  teaching people about the importance of respecting animals than some of the negative approaches other organizations take.

Sapach notes that organizations often try to garner attention by positing sad images of dogs online or showing people heartbreaking commercials. He says that many people just turn the channel or close their browser when they're confronted with something that is too sad. He believes what he is doing much more effective. His method is one that actually engages people, teaches them something and leaves them smiling.

Frank Sapach and Sheila hope to reach the Canadian East Coast by December, spreading their message one interaction at a time. To follow Shiela and Sapach’s journey, you can visit their blog.