Dexter’s Treat-Running Legend Egeler Pawses for Four-Legged Friends

Dan Egeler Makes Every Mile More Fur-filling with Daily Dog Encounters

Photo: Bohdi. Photo by Christine O’Brien, Ruff Life Photography

Early every morning Dexter resident Dan Egeler combines two of his passions – running and his love for dogs.  “I wouldn’t call running a passion“, quips Egeler, “more like an illness.  But I absolutely enjoy meeting the dogs that are out for walks while I run around Dexter.  They actually help break up the monotony of running and allow me to do interval training in the process.”  After feeding breakfast to his own two dogs early each day (both dog fighting survivors but total ‘couch potatoes’), Egeler laces up his running shoes, throws dozens of dog treats into his pockets and heads out for his exercise routine.  Egeler likes to complete at least 10 miles per day.  “For the past couple of years, I participated in the “Run The Year” event, which means you run or walk as many miles as the calendar year. So, this year I have to do at least 2024 miles. I’m already over 2,800, and will finish with more than 3,500 miles by the end of the year.  Of course, this challenge was a lot easier for runners in year one,” laughs Egeler.

Some of you may recall that in 2020 Dan Egeler ran 4 marathons (105 miles total) in 24 hours to raise funds for a couple of his favorite dog rescues.  He raised over $150,000 with his event, so running for and with dogs is a part of his DNA.

His usual route takes him along the trail next to Mill Creek by the cemetery and onto the B2B trail towards Hudson Mills.  Then he’ll traverse onto the sidewalks throughout the downtown Dexter area.  “I noticed that I kept seeing many of the same dogs each day being walked by their owners early in the morning”, Egeler says. “They were all friendly, but one dog in particular, Bodhi (an English Labrador), was very excited to see me each day.  After several weeks of greeting him I asked his owner, Cassie, if Bodhi would like treats.  She said he loves treats so I decided I would start bringing some with me each day.”  Cassie relayed, “Bodhi gets walked every morning on the Mill Creek trail. We saw Dan running almost every morning so when he asked about giving Bodhi treats, there was no hesitation.  Of course, Bodhi is also a certified counter surfer and loves any kind of snack.” Cassie also noted that Bodhi has to work for his treats: “Dan has been working with Bodhi to perform some basic behaviors before he gets each treat, which Bodhi actually enjoys. We do have fun each walk.”

“I see about 10 of my regular dogs almost every day, but have met over 50 dogs in the past year”, said Egeler. “Most of them have to work a little for their treats, but sometimes just being cute is the only job the dog has.  I have created some funny behavior issues. For example, one early morning dog, Riley, will start to slow down her walk if she hasn’t seen me before going home just to make sure she increases her chance to get her treats.”

Egeler works passionately to support dog rescues and shelters. “I am happy that so many of the dogs I meet each morning are rescues. Kudos to their owners for saving a dog’s life through adoption, but just as importantly for any dog owner spending time with them outside to exercise and letting the dog sniff the world.”  This year he has worked to set up several photo events for adoptable dogs to bring attention to their plight.  “Shelters and rescues are busting at the seams with more dogs than ever.  There are so many fantastic dogs out there, but we have to work hard to make them stand out amongst the crowd. We’ve discovered that unique photo shoots help with the adoption process.  There have been photo events at Ford Field and along Mill Creek. Earlier this year the Encore Theatre let us use the entire auditorium. The Encore has also just permitted us to showcase some dogs in the lobby at some of the upcoming performances of Annie.  For those not familiar with this musical, one of the stars of the show is a dog named Sandy. The original dog (and subsequent) of the Broadway show was rescued from a shelter. I’m also working to arrange a photo shoot at the Big House.”

In the meantime, Egeler says he’ll keep putting one foot in front of another every morning as he does his daily run.  “It’s fun, good for my physical and mental health, and who doesn’t love the enjoyment of meeting a happy pup every day!”