Early morning dog walkers find friendship and support

The sky had just begun to pale in Lincoln Park on a recent morning as a small group gathered. What began as a random meeting of casual dog walkers has grown into a tight-knit group of friends, drawn together by a love of their neighborhood park and by dogs who needed early morning exercise.

As dawn broke, Padfoot the pug eagerly approached each arrival receiving the head scratches and back pats he craves. His owner Dave Olson stuffed a bag of treats in his coat pocket.

“Padfoot likes loving better than treats,” he said.

Catharine Scherer smiled as Magellan, 15, frisked around her feet.

“He acts like a puppy at 6 a.m., when he knows he is going to see the gang.”

While most of the friends are retired, these early morning walks are necessary for Scherer who at 64 is the “baby” of the group. She works as a music thanatologist at area health care facilities and hospitals and has to be up early – the others choose to, or their dogs choose for them.

Annette Kuntz laughed. “Dogs give you a reason to get up in the morning. They make you get up and move. They need to be socialized and so do we!”

Her miniature schnauzer, Shelby, woofed in apparent agreement.

They meet in the upper parking lot of Lincoln Park and generally stick to the winding paved path. Depending on age and ability, some take a short loop, while others take a longer route and enjoy watching the sunrise over the pond. Then they all meet up again at the top of the lot.

“It’s a nice way to start your morning off,” Kuntz said. “You can chat about anything, but it’s also OK to just not talk at all.”

This morning they were all missing their longtime friend Jerry Murphy, who died Sept. 28. The loss is still fresh. While battling cancer, Murphy hadn’t been able to walk with them, but he still brought Jimmy, his poodle to the park so he could join his doggie buddies on their morning constitutional while Murphy waited in the parking lot.

Today, his son brought Jimmy. The poodle snuffled around from person to person, accepting ear rubs and an occasional treat. They were glad to see him. When Murphy first died, the grieving dog hadn’t wanted to leave the house.

“We’ve known Jimmy since he was a baby,” Olson said. “He’s looking for his daddy.”

It isn’t the first time loss has hit their group.

Sue Eugster’s husband, George, died four years ago. She said the morning walks with her friends proved pivotal for her when her husband could no longer join them.

“I already had the habit in place when he got ill,” she said, as Sparky, her golden retriever leaned against her leg. “The park itself was healthy for me and these guys were so supportive.”

Indeed, if someone doesn’t show up in the morning the others are quick to give a call or stop by to make sure all is well.

Their relationships aren’t confined to crack-of-dawn walks in the park. Over the years they’ve attended Christmas parties in Kuntz’s home and joined each other for meals.

“We are all very different people who have come to care deeply for one another through our dogs,” Scherer said. “We have learned about our lives, our children, our aches and pains. … They are part of my heart. It’s wonderful starting the morning knowing these people are here.”

Eugster agreed. “We just understand each other and the circle of life,” she said. “It’s the park. It’s the process. It’s the people.”

As Olson offered the eager dogs one more round of treats, he said “It’s not just about dog-walking anymore. We’ve become good friends.”