Club of the Month: SJ Dog Club patriotic paws

  • Published
  • By Airman Shawna L. Keyes
  • 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  The SJ Dog Club is open to anyone who enjoys the company of man's best friend.

Through the Make It Better initiative, Airmen and their families came together to form clubs, like the Seymour Johnson Dog Club, to network and bolster their passions with others who have similar interests.

The club has more than 200 members, who meet on the first Saturday of the month at 9 a.m. and the second Thursday at 6 p.m. at the base dog park next to Debden Park. Members have the opportunity to socialize their dogs and discuss upcoming events.

"I bring my dog Jago out to all the club meetings to interact with new dogs," said Holli Columbus, 4th Mission Support Group executive administrative support technician and co-leader of the dog club. "She enjoys running with other dogs and I know it's good for her to meet other dogs?"

The club began back in 2013, but gained more members after the first MIB club day event, Oct. 24, 2014. Through the MIB initiative, the club also opened a dog park on base for everyone to enjoy and bring their furry family members to.

The SJ Dog Club makes an effort to appear during pet friendly events on base, most recently the Run for the Fallen event, Nov. 14. Along with base events, the club posts about events happening off base on their Facebook page.

"Since being a part of this club I have made a lot of different connections," said Staff Sgt. Christine Williams, 4th Component Maintenance Squadron administrations support technician and leader of the club. "With Dogs on Deployment, rescues, and local businesses who are all very excited to be working with us and our club members."

Williams added the purpose of the club is to make military life with pets easier, and connecting with other programs and businesses is a way of accomplishing that.

"By promoting and using programs like Dogs on Deployment, it's much less stressful to leave your pet behind and be able to focus on the mission," Williams said. "Too many people feel they have to get rid of their dogs because of orders or deployments and our club can help with that."

The club plans to host an ice cream social pet fair when the weather gets warmer to give pet owners an opportunity to socialize and learn about the different pet services available to them through various avenues. Along with human ice cream, pet friendly ice cream will also be available.  

For more information visit the Seymour Johnson Dog Club Facebook page, or contact 919-722-3470/1271.