Marine Inspires Trend by Running With Shelter Dogs to Show Her Adaptability, Finds ‘Immense Joy’ Along the Way (Exclusive)

A Marine took to social media to showcase adoptable shelter dogs while getting daily exercise

• Wesley Swainston decided to change up his running routines by taking dogs from a local shelter on his walks.

• He began posting some of the moments on social media, gaining not only a large following but also a group of people who followed suit.

• Swainston encourages others to visit local shelter dogs and consider adopting them

As an active-duty Marine, Wesley Swainston initially took up running as part of his job. Over time, however, he fell in love with it.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Swainston, 28, explains how she combined her love of running with another passion — one for dogs — and turned to social media to showcase adoptable shelter dogs while getting daily exercise.

“While balancing my military duties, I decided to volunteer at my local shelter, helping train dogs and showcasing their personalities online to help with adoption,” he says. “Training dogs that have been confined for long periods can be challenging; they often have unlimited energy and need an outlet.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Working with a shelter called Adoption First near Jacksonville, Florida, Swainston says he “started caring for the shelter’s dogs and then training them” in November 2023.

“This approach not only provided physical exercise, but also helped the most fearful dogs to open up,” he adds. “I would often bring fellow Marines to volunteer with me, allowing them to play and run with the dogs, which was a rewarding experience for everyone involved.”

Related: Devoted Adopter Visits Fearful Shelter Dog Every Day for 2 Months to Gain Pet’s Trust (Exclusive)

After a deployment in 2024, Swainston’s first stop was the shelter, where he got the idea to film one of his runs with the dogs.

These videos inspired others, like a series in which Swainston trains for a marathon by running 26 miles, each with a different adoptable dog.

During runs, he often shares facts about the dogs as they run alongside him – some like to carry something in their mouths as they run, others like to stop periodically and sniff.

As her videos went viral, perhaps unexpectedly for Swainston, they inspired countless other runners to contact their local shelters to do the same.

“I recently conducted a poll on my Instagram, asking my audience if they volunteered at their local shelters because of me,” he told People. “More than 200 people responded positively, saying they took action because of my influence.”

This reach, he says, is “incredibly rewarding.”

“I know that I had a direct impact on the adoption of dogs, especially those that I managed to train, like Bear, who spent more than 200 days at the shelter, and Bruno, who was initially judged for his behavior,” he says. “I worked closely with Bruno’s foster mother for around six weeks, helping to train him and show his true potential. Now, I get photos from their owners of them on the beach, off leash, living their best lives. to see these dogs thrive in their forever homes.”

Swainston is now leaving the U.S. Marine Corps, in a dog training orientation program in San Antonio, Texas.

And while his military training helped inspire him to become a runner, his volunteering at animal shelters helped inspire something else: for Swainston to raise dogs himself.

Related: Dogs in shelter for weeks enjoy Valentine’s Day photo shoot in hopes of finally finding a home

Soon, he will share how he trains his own foster dogs before they find their forever homes.

“I get a lot of comments like, ‘That dog loves you! You should adopt him!’ ” Swainston admits. “Unfortunately for them, I already have two amazing dogs that have inspired me to train: Asher, my 5-year-old German Shepherd, and my 16-year-old mini Australian Shepherd.”

He continues, “While I definitely fall in love with the dogs I train and manage, it’s more about knowing that they will someday bring immense joy to someone rather than considering adoption alone.”

He adds that the experience of running with dogs showed him firsthand “the power of play.”

“Giving up daily walks for engaging play sessions can transform your relationship with your dog,” he says. “Think: If you went to a shelter once a week and spent 20 minutes playing fetch with a dog, you would be surprised at how easily that dog bonds with you.”

For more People news, sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article in People.