As its one-year anniversary approaches, the Halifax County Visitor Center Dog Run has exceeded expectations.

Christina Wells, director of tourism development and marketing for the Halifax Convention and Visitors Bureau, estimates conservatively some 10 dogs a day are taken to the run on Premier Boulevard. “Some days during business hours we see upwards of a dozen or more and then there’s more after hours.”

The dogs range from mixed breeds to show dogs and even Fort Lee’s bomb-sniffing dogs stopped by the run for a break.

Visitors learn of the dog run from the many billboards placed on the highway as well as directional signs, Wells said, adding they are pleased with the facility.

Two park visitors.

While there will be no commemoration of the first anniversary of the run on Saturday, Wells said the dog run will host a demonstration by members of the Skyhoundz World Canine Disc Championship Series on June 28 at 6 p.m.

The series comes back to Roanoke Rapids then for June 29 and June 30 competitions at Doyle Field, events hosted by tourism and the Roanoke Rapids Parks and Recreation Department.

That the event keeps coming back to Roanoke Rapids, Wells said, is a testament to the work of tourism and the parks department. “They say we make it easy for them. They feel welcomed and are appreciative that we have a certain level of hospitality. It’s a win-win.”

In a press release on the anniversary of the dog run, tourism said while the primary purpose was to make a convenient stop for travelers and their four-legged friends, the impact of the dog run is felt in the local economy and in building relationships.

When visitors come to the dog run, the dogs are welcomed to the visitor center and photos are taken for the Halifax County Visitor Center Dog Run Facebook page. Owners are asked to fill out a short form with information about both their pets and their trip.

One of the most important questions on the form is, explained bureau President and CEO Lori Medlin is, “While we were here, we also …” with choices of purchased fuel, ate in a restaurant, visited an attraction, or stayed overnight. The vast majority of the forms received indicate that visitors do at least one of those activities when they stop.

Dogs take a drink after playing.

“In fact, many visitors come in just to say that not only did they choose Exit 173 because of the Dog Run but also that they will make Exit 173 a frequent stopping place and will pass the word to friends and family,” Medlin said. “Several of our Halifax County hotels are pet-friendly – Days Inn, Hilton Garden Inn, Jameson Inn, Motel 6, Quality Inn and Sleep Inn.

“There are also plenty of places for travelers to enjoy Halifax County with their pets, such as the Roanoke Canal Trail, Medoc Mountain State Park, walking through Historic Halifax, River Falls Park, to name a few.”

The Halifax County Visitor Center staff is also making deeper connections and building relationships with visitors through the Dog Run.

Southern Comfort Animal Rescue of Georgia has made the Dog Run a regular stop in transporting dogs for adoption. 

Many visitors, Medlin said, tell profound stories about their own rescue animals, like a woman from Florida who adopted a retired racing greyhound.

In April the military dogs and their handlers from Fort Lee, Virginia, stopped at the Dog Run after picking up some new recruits for training. “Countless visitors are traveling with their pets to visit family – some after a long absence, a few to introduce to significant others — one couple bringing their first child to meet her grandparents for the first time. Hearing the stories about the visitors and their pets makes the Visitor Center staff feel like part of their family as well.”