Why are there puppies in a South End cycling studio?

Why are there puppies roaming around a cycling studio?

Karen Hill, owner of First Wind Cycling and Fitness, had the idea of bringing puppies to her new cycling studio in South End. She had been taking her own dogs to Carolina Doggy Playland, a doggy daycare and boarding facility, and saw that they bring in rescue puppies from Catering to Cats and Dogs to be adopted.

So earlier this year, Hill decided to team up with the same charity to bring in puppies that needed a new home to First Wind Cycling. Once a week, alternating between Tuesday and Wednesday, a few puppies will come in and greet the clients before and after they sweat it out on the bikes.

The studio started sharing pictures of the puppies on social media and now two of the pint-size pups have been adopted, one by a client and another by an instructor.

Julianne Wooten, a regular client at First Wind, loves to come into the studio to hang out with puppies like Bucket, pictured below.

“I love being part of a local gym that supports the community, including our four-legged companions,” said Wooten. “I never thought ‘greeted by puppies’ would be one of my criterion for a gym. Who doesn’t want to play fetch or hug on a furry little bundle of joy after an intense workout?”

You can adopt your very own rescue puppy at First Wind for $250, which includes all of the “puppy shots” and medical necessities. Plus, you get three months of unlimited free classes at First Wind. So the deal basically pays for itself, and you’d get to come home after a hard workout to a puppy that needs some TLC.

First Wind also offers a once-a-month fundraising charity night where a DJ plays for cyclists and half of the proceeds will go to a charity like Catering to Cats and Dogs.

Follow First Wind on Facebook and Instagram, or visit the Pedals and Puppies page on its website to learn when the puppies will make their next appearance.

I mean come on, how can you resist that face?

First Wind Cycling, 1930 Camden Road Suite 120. 980-207-0885.

Photos: Courtesy of Karen Hill; Courtesy of kupfermanphotography.com.

This story was originally published September 19, 2016 at 9:05 PM with the headline "Why are there puppies in a South End cycling studio?."