Meet Ricky: This Week’s Dog of the Week

Submitted by WHIZ Intern Maddie Luebkert

ZANESVILLE, OH – This week’s dog of the week is working hard to learn new tricks to impress families this summer.

Meet 2-year-old Heeler Mix, Ricky. Ricky is an outgoing puppy who gets along great with other dogs and loves kids. Ricky’s determination to learn new skills and friendly demeanor make him the perfect dog for families, even if they already have a dog according to Adoption Center Volunteer Doug McQuaid. 

“He walks well on a leash, he loves to take treats, he’ll actually sit on command. He is very good with kids and other dogs so he’d be a great dog for a family that’s a little bit active. With his age, he’ll like to go for walks so it would just be something that would be good for him to do,” McQuaid said.

While dogs like Ricky need lots of walks, volunteers want to remind dog owners to be mindful of how much time their dogs spend in the heat. Older dogs are especially susceptible to heat stroke. With the heat advisory in place, volunteers recommend spending less time outside and more time playing indoors.

“When they’re panting a lot, that lets you know that they’re very hot. That’s the way for them to basically be able to cool themselves, but still sometimes they need to be brought in and just sit inside and let them get cooled down, maybe even put the fan on and so forth. These temperatures here are very dangerous especially for older dogs who can have a heat stroke and all dogs can do that as well,” McQuaid said.

The Adoption Center is also giving away dog food to the community. To pick up free food or to donate, call the K-9 Adoption Center at (740)-453-0273.