Cayman Islands resident James Tucker and his dog Roger will attempt to climb several mountains in Colorado this May, in hopes of raising awareness of the importance of adopting shelter dogs.
Tucker, who plays for the Fidelity Cayman Storm in the domestic rugby league, also plans to raise upwards of US$50,000, which will be donated mainly to two local charities: The Cayman Islands Humane Society and One Dog at a Time.
“There is this common myth and lack of education amongst the general public that view shelter dogs as violent and aggressive, which is completely wrong,” Tucker told the Cayman Compass.
“The purpose of climbing the mountains is to show that a Cayman dog can go from sea level to high altitudes with its owner because of the bond they build.”
Tucker’s goal is to ascend up to 14,000 feet with Roger, who he rescued nearly two years ago as a 9-month-old pup. He plans to climb four out of the 15 mountains in the US state of Colorado, all within a week.
“Roger was facing euthanasia and the Humane Society rescued him because he lived on the streets,” Tucker said. “Having adopted him, he has brought me loyalty and trusted companionship, and this is my way of showing people that there is no problem with shelter dogs.”
According to Humane Society director Saskia Salden, the shelter is currently home to 160 dogs, with the majority being fostered. She also noted that 400-500 dogs are euthanised yearly by the Department of Agriculture.
Cayman’s stray dog population continues to rise, usually resulting in euthanasia by the DoA due to shelters reaching capacity. Tucker said the issue is caused by breeders.
“The reality is, there is no such thing as a bad dog, only a bad owner,” he said. “Every dog deserves a chance. The problem is people continue to buy from breeders, because they want it from a puppy.”
Tucker also spoke about how Roger has helped with his mental health.
“I had a major life event in 2002 which caused post-traumatic stress disorder,” he said. “A part of this is to show that a dog can help with many other things. I think it is very heavily recognised in the US where you can have service dogs, and you can take them everywhere.”
An article published on the National Geographic website last year, ‘Yes, dogs can ‘catch’ their owners’ emotions’, reported on research showing that a dog’s ability to communicate with humans is unlike any other species.
They can sense human emotions like fear, excitement, or anger, but the studies also found that people and their dogs experience the release of oxytocin, often called the ‘love hormone’, the article said.
Tucker added that his planned climb with Roger is “about putting dogs on the map”.
“What people need to realise is, these dogs bring more to a family than just being a pet,” he said. “Dogs have a sense, that we can never comprehend, that they have saved lives and guarded homes.”
Tucker is in the process of getting Roger registered as a service dog, and confirmed that they are training and preparing for their May trip.
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