Aussie personal trainers strip down to save rescue dogs
Australia’s top personal trainers have stripped down to raise funds for no-kill animal shelters around the country. Here’s how you can help a furry friend in need.
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When Drew Harrisberg was asked to pose shirtless with a pooch, the model and exercise physiologist didn’t know it would turn him into an animal advocate.
Gracing the the Hot Guys And Rescue Dogs calender for the second year, Harrisberg said the project — full of shirtless men and adorable rescue pups — has a deep meaning behind it.
“I love dogs and I don’t own a shirt so I thought this would be the perfect project. [On set] it was my first time going to a dog shelter and it was really overwhelming,” he told The Daily Telegraph.
“I went back and volunteered and walked the dogs at the pound. I walked dozens of dogs to take them out of their cage.
“I can’t rescue all of them. I felt a responsibility to give them a dose of freedom while I can.”
Harrisberg adopted a dog from the shelter after the first year he was on the shoot, and now the 10-year-old black staffy named Dennis, is one of the furry stars of this year’s calendar.
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“I remembered I had seen Dennis in his cage. He never made it to the calendar that first year. I took him out on the lead and he was very distressed in that cage. We went out into a field and he fell asleep on my lap and the thought of putting him back killed me,” he said.
“I’ve become a big advocate for rescuing dogs when I never thought I would be.”
The calendar features Australia’s top personal trainers and rescue dogs from the Central Coast Animal Care Facility and all proceeds go to no-kill animal shelters in Australia.
The project also supports the Rescue Your Fitness initiave which encourages people to stop at their local pound and take a dog on a walk or run with them.
“If you’re going out on a run or a walk and there is a dog nearby, why not take the dog with you and then drop it back?” Harrisberg said.
“I think people feel pressure or guilt or shame if they don’t rescue the dog or buy a dog from a breeder. But it’s a complex issue, there are a lot of grey areas.”