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37 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, December 16, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend December 6, 2004 Gene Edwards volunteers at the Southern Oregon Humane Society. He and his wife, Sharon, walk all the dogs twice a week. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Hometown heroes A soft spot for animals By BUFFY POLLOCK for the Mail Tribune Gene Edwards would house every four-legged resident of the Southern Oregon Humane Society if he could. Instead, he gives them all a good walk. Twice a week. Bob Brooks, the society’s director of development and communications, said it’s difficult to discern the 63-year-old Medford volunteer and his wife, Sharon, from actual employees. "They come in every Tuesday and Thursday, rain, shine, holidays, snow — doesn’t make any difference — to walk all of the dogs that we have," said Brooks. "It’s not just a quick little thing. They’re here all day long to do that." Advertisement Gene Edwards also is a board member, building committee member and a biweekly sight on Channel 10’s "Pet on the Set" segment. He and his wife helped form a dog-walking team to ensure dogs were walked on days they couldn’t do it themselves. Edwards founded the concept of the "Welcome Wagger," in which he picks a dog who has been waiting the longest for a home. The dog greets visitors to the shelter and Edwards shares the canine’s story. The program has resulted in a number of dogs being adopted, Brooks said. Dog business aside, Edwards helped champion a campaign to raise $25,000 for the facility, pitches in with the monthly newsletter to spread the word about the importance of exercise in reducing kennel stress and puts donation jars around town. The couple practice what they preach, having personally adopted three "long-term residents" of the facility over the last year. A retiree who grew up in Medford, Edwards was quick to shrug off the attention. "They’d had a lack of volunteers who were committed to walking the animals and getting them out of the kennels on a regular basis, so my wife and I had an agreement between ourselves we were going walk every dog they had here," he said. "We’ve done it in rain and snow and 105-degree temperatures. If it’s a Tuesday or Thursday, we’re here. "It’s just unspeakable joy when one of these dogs gets adopted because they’re like our own and we just love them so much." Buffy Pollock is a free-lance writer living in Medford.E-mail her at [email protected]. Do you know someone who's a Hometown Hero? The first to volunteer when a school or a local family needs help, or someone who has risked his personal safety or financial security to help someone else? Submit suggestions to Mail Tribune reporter Sanne Specht via e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at 776-4497. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities