Shary Willis takes a dog out for a training run in San Antonio.
Photo by Maile Pringle, via Runner’s World
Dog-walking has become a multi-million dollar industry across the nation, but have you ever hear of a professional dog runner? A cool story in Runner’s World highlights a San Antonio-based company called My Best Friend, which offers serious workouts for active pups:
Willis, who founded My Best Friend nine years ago, is one of five dog runners on staff. Five days a week, roughly six hours a day, Willis runs with her four-legged clients. She works them out for an average of 30 minutes each, and takes breaks when she’s driving to the next canine on the day’s lineup. She estimates she runs between eight and 10 miles per day and averages about nine-minute mile pace.
As you might imagine, such intense training doesn’t come cheap: it’s $19 per run.
What do you think: Are you or your dog up for this kind of exercise? For those high-energy breeds who live in cities and suburbs, it’s a chance to really stretch out their legs.
Click here for the full story.
