Doggy Day Out

A nationwide, short-term foster program where the public can take adoptable dogs out from their local shelter for the day.

Short-term Fostering Saves Lives!

A Doggy Day Out is a field trip that can include a hike, a trip to the beach or lake, a car ride for a pup cup, or even a sleepover.

These breaks help shelter dogs reduce kennel stress, burn off energy, connect with humans, and present better to potential adopters. Shelter dogs who go on Doggy Day Outs are 5x more likely to get adopted and 14x more likely after 1-2 sleepovers!

If you’ve always wanted to help shelter animals, but can’t commit long-term, these Doggy Day Out programs are made for you! Try it out by searching for a participating shelter in our state directory, below.

Find a Doggy Day Out Shelter

2021/08/Chapter-05-Susannah-Greenwood-on-a-Doggy-Day-Out3.jpg

Doggy Day Out for Shelters

Curious about starting a day fostering program? Everything you need is in our free, customizable toolkit. Downloading this toolkit does not obligate you to start a program, but you will have plenty of information and resources if you decide to do so!

Doggy Day Out Toolkit for Shelters

How did Doggy Day Out start?

Maddie’s American Pets Alive! Director Kristen Auerbach was working at Fairfax County Animal Shelter in Virginia a few years ago when she read an article about short-term and day fostering. In 2014, she implemented a larger version of the program at that shelter. It was a massive success and Auerbach began presenting it at conferences.

Other programs sprouted up, including wildly popular ones at Fredericksburg SPCA and Louisville Metro Animal Services. Mutual Rescue consulted with a diverse group of shelters with robust programs to create resources and support that would allow any shelter, regardless of size or area, to implement this program. Our toolkit contains all the manuals and forms a shelter needs to start its own program.

We have been specifically tracking program participants and can draw direct correlation between less stress, less destructive behaviors, and decreased length of stay among those who go out the most often.”

Caitlin Daly, former executive director, Fredericksburg SPCA
Mutual Rescue’s Doggy Day Out has provided our shelter guests with the joy of anticipating an adventure, the freedom to exhibit normal behavior away from the shelter environment, the contentment that only a day on the trails bring, and the most important benefit of all: reduced time to adoption and a new beginning. Who doesn’t want a hiking buddy?”

Jodi Waters, Director of Development, Teller County (CO) Regional Animal Shelter