KC Pittie Pack co-founders Emily Hawkins and Crystal Wiebe founded their community dog-walking group with a simple mission: Everybody gets along. Every other Saturday morning, before the KCPP holds its structured two- to four-mile walks around the metro (frequently in Penn Valley Park, along the Indian Creek Trail or in Berkley Riverfront Park), everyone meets up and introduces their dogs. Treats are welcome, and poop bags are required. "We're not trainers, just animal lovers interested in creating a safe space to socialize our dogs," Wiebe adds. The walks are brisk but not superfast, so just about any dog-human pair can manage. Because, as any trainer will tell you, a tired dog is a good dog.
