Safe
Run
Gentle dobies take
bites out of crime
Many women are afraid to run alone for fear of being
assaulted. Some women only run with partners. Others
angrily give up running. Now there's an alternative.
"I don't want to be raped," says Linda Whitaker, who
often runs with a doberman pinscher. Her escort is more
than an effective deterrent to assault — she says it gives her
the freedom and confidence to go anyplace anytime. "With
a doberman, I don't feel the least bit scared. I could go in
the darkest alley."
Whitaker got her doberman from Project Safe Run,
located at 1342 Alder St. apt 1. Shelley Reecher coordinates
the non-profit escort service that is available to all women
'Some jerks used to yell 'hey
baby' or say something in
sulting when they saw me run
ning alone, Now. when I run
with a dobie they just say
'gee, it sure is a nice day' or
'that's a nice dog you have,'
— Angela Elden
24 hours-a-day. For a suggested donation of $10 to $25 a
month, the service provides highly-trained dogs to women
who don't want to be alone.
But the dogs do more than just jog.
"They're not just for runners. You can take them for a
walk, to the beach or even camping," Reecher says.
And the reason for doberman pinschers is clear. "We
chose dobies to capitalize on their bad press image. People
think they're land sharks," she says.
But actually, they're quite friendly.
"The dogs are totally loving and friendly to the person
Although doberman pinschers traditionally are trained as guard dogs, they can be "totally loving and friend
ly" to their owners or wards, says University marketing junior Angela Elden, who runs with dobies ' as a safety
measure.
running with them," says Angela Elden, a marketing |unior
who has run with the dogs for more than a year. "But,
they're always alert and wary of strangers."
Elden agrees.
"Once a scruffy looking guy came up too close behind
me. I didn't see him, but Jake growled at him. The man said
whoa' and backed off."
It takes only fifteen minutes for a novice to learn how to
handle the dogs, who are trained to obey only the com
mands of the runner they escort. When they are running,
the dogs know they are "working" and are not easily
distracted.
"Sam sometimes takes an interest in squirrels or birds,
but he never pulls you around. I've even had dogs jump on
him and Sam just looked and kept running," says Whitaker,
a South Eugene High School cross country runner with two
teammates who also use the service.
Patrons reported that before they ran with the dogs
they were often the victims of cat calls and harassment
from some men.
"Some jerks used to yell 'hey baby' or say something in
sulting when they saw me running alone. Now, when I run
with a dobie they just say gee, it sure is a nice day' or 'that's
a nice dog you have,' " Elden says.
The service has loaned the dogs 827 times since its
beginning in October 1981 — without an attempted assault.
Because of high demand for the dogs, the service has ex
panded from one dog in 1981 to five dogs today. Sorority
women have used the service most, but Reecher would like
to see all University women patronize it. "If more people
want the dogs, we ll get more dogs," Reecher says.
Reecher will present Project Safe Run to interested
students at 7 p.m. Oct. 25 in 150 Geology. This will be an op
portunity to meet the dogs, ask questions and see
simulated attacks. The presentation is sponsored by the
Panhellenic Association. Contact Reecher at T45-8086 for
more information.
As a deterrent to sexual assault and rape, many local
women, like University junior Angela Elden and
friend, take doberman pinschers loaned by Project
Safe Run on their runs.
....
One step closer and I'll clobber ya’ is the message this trained doberman pinscher, escorting' runner Leslie
Leatherman/ gives to Scott Wilkinson, who simulates an attack against the University sophomore.
I
It only takes 15 minutes to learn how to handle the
dog.
Story and photos
by Jeffry Burns