San Juan Capistrano Residents Invited To Join Pawz Pack Walk

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA — Are you ready to find your pack, San Juan Capistrano? Well, grab your dog's leash and your walking shoes. The La Pawz Dog Team is hosting a Community Pack Walk Saturday at Laguna Niguel Regional Park, and all Orange County residents — and their dogs — are invited to join in on the team's first event of the new year.

The pack will be led by La Pawz Dog Team members Tommy Stark and Emily Haley, according to an event page posted on Facebook. Pack walks are a good way to continue dog socialization in a structured form, the team wrote on its Facebook page. Pack walks additionally provide vital exposure and a way of meeting new friends, dogs and humans alike.

Residents interested in joining the pack are asked to meet at La Paz Sports Park, located directly behind Whole Foods and Sees Candy. The pack will walk to Laguna Niguel Regional Park from there, and residents are encouraged to come early to secure a good parking space.

The Community Pack Walk will go from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

If you're the proud owner of a dog who experiences social anxiety, please let the La Pawz Team members know. Team members are on call to offer more tips on pack walking with a dog who requires more space from other dogs.

Additionally, residents with socially anxious dogs are welcomed to tie a colored ribbon around their dog's collar to indicate that their dog needs more space.

Before grabbing your leash, the La Pawz Dog Team asked residents to keep the following requirements in mind:

• While walking, please have positive control over your dog. Dogs are not allowed to run into other dogs' space, whether that dog is a part of the pack or not. If this is difficult for your dog, the La Pawz Dog Team suggests keeping your dog on a short leash when walking close to other dogs.
• Retractable leashes are not allowed during the Community Pack Walk.
• Refrain from allowing direct nose-to-nose greetings between dogs until after the Community Pack Walk, and always ask the other owners' permission before directly approaching with your dog.
• When walking or on breaks, please keep a courteous distance from other dogs.
• Residents joining in on the Community Pack Walk are encouraged to wear comfortable walking shoes, as some of the terrain in Laguna Niguel Regional Park is uneven. If a resident requires physical accommodations for the walk, they are asked to contact the La Pawz Dog Team to determine an alternative entrance.
• If you are bringing a child, please bring an extra adult to supervise throughout the walk.