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Pixabay.com/It has scarcely been a week since the release of the overnight sensation Pokemon Go and already there is a lot of negative news, both hoaxed and legitimate, surrounding it. In the midst of all this, it is refreshing to come across a feel good story about the app that goads its players to catch them all. As advocates of rescue, shelter pets and wildlife protection, we think that the positive stories are worth sharing, especially considering the fact that the mainstream media already harps on the negative aspects to no end.Indianaโs Muncie Shelter posted a notification on their Facebook page, requesting all Pokemon Go players to walk a shelter dog as they scouted the area for their Pokemon. Phil Peckinpaugh, the director of the shelter told that the idea occurred to him after he saw droves of Muncie locals walking around town trying to scout for Pokemon. It occurred to him that they can get a dog to join them on an adventure. He added that if every one of the players had a dog to walk, it would be great.He said that once they posted the request for volunteers on Facebook, a throng of people showed up the next morning to walk one of the homeless dogs. Speaking to a local newspaper, he said that the goal was to provide the shelter dogs with mental stimulation and exercise. As of Wednesday, close to 75 people had stopped by the animal shelter to take part in this new initiative. One of the dogs was also adopted by a walker.Housston, Texas has always been a hotbed for abandoned animals and some of the Pokemon Go players got to experience the problem firsthand. While scouting for Pokemon at South Houstonโs Freeway Manor Park, two of the players found an empty carton with a cage housing over twenty hamsters and mice babies.
Players find an injured puppy in one of the local parksOn July 9, two Pokemon Go players in the Texan town of Lufkin were walking in their neighborhood around Chambers Park when they noticed that the app showed that there was a Jigglypuff somewhere close. As they followed the signal, Tiffany Revay and Kaitlin Kouts came upon something that they did not expect โ an injured puppy. The puppy was laying down by a trash bag and a tree and could not move. His mouth was profusely bleeding and he looked like he was in a lot of pain. They also discovered that his hind leg was broken. His gums and ears were blue and pale.Luckily for the dog, the women had placed an order for a pizza before they set out on their Pokemon hunt and the delivery man was a trained EMT, who had his emergency kit ready. He helped the women stabilize the badly injured pup. The little fella was then taken to the local vet where he received surgery to fix the broken legs. So, clearly itโs not all bad news. If you have a lot of time to spare, you should think about volunteering your services at the local animal shelter too.