Dog days are fun days on trips away from the shelter with volunteers
MADISON, NJ — Finlee lives in a nice place: it’s clean, he’s well fed and well cared for, and there are always people to pet and scratch him.
But it’s still an animal shelter in New Jersey.
But outside the walls is a vast, expansive, wondrous world full of inexplicable, undiscovered smells, piles of leaves to rummage through, wet grass to cool one’s paws… and squirrels!
Finlee, a one-year-old blackmouth cur mix, gets to see that world on a semi-regular basis thanks to a program at St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center that allows volunteers to take dogs on field trips. They go to places like a park, the beach, a lake for a swim, a pet-friendly hotel for a weekend getaway or even a trip to Starbucks, where they serve cups of whipped cream called “Puppucinos” to dogs brought along by their owners.
“It gets dogs out of the shelter for a few hours,” said Sarah Sangree, director of community engagement at St. Hubert’s, which is part of the Humane Rescue Alliance and takes in and cares for animals from far and wide while it searches for permanent homes for them. “Kennels are a stressful place.”
She said dogs who leave the shelter, even for two or three days, show noticeable reductions in stress, as measured by their cortisol levels. Nationally, she said, dogs who go on walks can be five times more likely to be adopted than dogs who don’t.
“It’s a huge benefit for the dogs,” she said.
The excursion program is especially popular among people who love dogs but live in a place where pets are not allowed.
“People can take them for a walk, they can take them for a hike,” Sangree said. “Sometimes people will take a dog home for a couple of hours and just let the dog relax.”
Such trips are offered throughout the country in shelters.
The East Bay SPCA in Oakland, California, is sending 350 dogs on day trips this year. Joseph Romero, a manager for the group, said many of the dogs who go on trips end up being adopted and living happier, more stable lives.
“Many of them arrive here without having had a great home life,” he said.
Many shelters ask volunteers to fill out a short report on dogs that go on day trips. It’s an invaluable source of information on things like how well they drive, interact with other dogs, or how they behave around children.
“Like most shelters across the country, we are almost always full and have a waiting list of pet owners who want to surrender to the shelter,” said Leslie Wall, assistant manager of Everett Animal Services in Washington state.
On July 17, it started a day hike program called “Wandering Rover” and in its first four days of operation, four dogs were placed with adoptive families.
In addition to parks and waterfront trails, Everett’s dogs also frequent pet-friendly microbreweries and coffeehouses. Other times, seniors who just want some company bring a dog for the afternoon.
St. Hubert’s in New Jersey sent 500 dogs on day hikes this year, with a goal of increasing that number to 1,000 by the end of the year.
In addition to cheering up the dogs, it’s an ingenious way to get people interested in potentially adopting the animals. The shelter facilitates 2,300 adoptions a year, and at least half of those animals have had at least one day trip with a volunteer, Sangree said.
Finlee came to St. Hubert’s from Cara’s House, a partner shelter in Sorrento, Louisiana. He was adopted on July 1, 2023, but his owner’s health declined and Finlee returned to St. Hubert’s on May 23. He loves to chase tennis balls, is extremely curious, and loves having his back scratched.
He was recently walked for a day by Dennis and Diane Meyer, an animal-loving couple from Warren, New Jersey, who lost their own dog three years ago. They are leaning toward adopting one, but aren’t quite ready because of their schedules. Walking a dog for 2 1/2 hours each week helps fill the void of not having a dog at home.
They took Finlee to a park near the shelter, where he sniffed everything within reach of his wet, black nose. A hanging plant was of particular interest, but so was apparently every blade of grass along the park’s walking path.
After a walk, the Meyers and Finlee rested on a park bench. They gave him water and dog treats, and he gave them copious kisses.
“We love doing it,” Dennis Meyer said. “It makes you feel good, with all those kisses he just gave me!”
“We are animal lovers and we love helping animals, and they help us,” added Diane Meyer.
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