By Riley Fontana
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Golden Opportunities for Independence (GOFI), an organization in Walpole, breeds cream golden retrievers and trains them to be service dogs, community resource dogs, and more. Part of their training includes socialization through activities like yoga.
The recent puppy yoga event brought in dog lovers and three puppies so small they didn’t even have names yet. The grass at the GOFI farm was filled with eager yoga participants and puppy lovers.
Erin Stephenson was the yoga teacher for the night, leading the group through basic yoga poses as the puppies romped around, interrupting their flows. The nine-week-old puppies thrived on catching someone off guard and distracting them from yoga. This was GOFI’s second time hosting puppy yoga, with great turnouts both times, and there are plans to host more in the future.
After an hour of yoga, participants were invited to spend some time playing and snuggling with the puppies. They passed the small puppies around and showered them with attention. The puppies loved the spotlight and running around the yard with their siblings. The rambunctious dogs found makeshift toys in the sticks to play with while participants watched on.
Beyond being a wonderful event with even better dogs, this brought a lot of attention to the GOFI organization. GOFI is always looking for volunteers and puppy raisers to help train the dogs as they grow. GOFI dogs go on to be service animals and community resource dogs, providing independence and support to those with disabilities.
Puppy yoga with the GOFI dogs is definitely a can’t-miss event. GOFI dogs provide so much to people with disabilities, and playing a part in their socialization is amazing. Keep up with the puppies and all their upcoming events on Instagram @gofidog. If you want to participate in Puppy Yoga, they are holding another event on Tuesday, July 30 at 6:30pm.
