67-year-old Anne Vonier first heard about “doggy daycations” after her manager brought a few dogs from Dallas Animal Services to their job site.
That’s where she met Luna, an 8-month-old Labrador retriever, who Vonier thought was inquisitive and happy to be around people. By the time Luna had to go back to the shelter, Vonier was already thinking of making plans to see her again.
“I asked my boss for help, who was the one that got me involved because she knows I love dogs so much,” she said.
She took Luna out the following week for their own date together to get to know her.
The daycations are intended to give people the opportunity to take a dog out for a day. DAS re-launched the program to the public in May as they continue to deal with overcapacity issues. As of Friday, DAS is at 140 percent capacity with many dogs sharing kennels.
Luna was one of 443 dogs at DAS, where they only have room for 300.
“If I were at the age where I could have a dog for 15 years and not be concerned about them being left behind, I would adopt again,” Vonier said. “I just can’t. So, I’ll do the daycation and possibly foster a dog to help them get a home.”
The staff at DAS aren’t the only ones facing this problem. Overcrowding at animal shelters is a national issue that’s been on the rise since 2021. Increasing cost of living and housing insecurity have led to people surrendering their pets they could no longer afford to care for, according to AP News.
Luna was at the shelter for over a month, and Vonier was worried she won’t get chosen in time because she’s a black dog and a bigger breed.
“It’s time to get her adopted or fostered otherwise…she might not make it,” she said.
Medium or large dog breeds, including Luna, made up most of the dog population at DAS. Light colored dogs are also more likely to get adopted than dark colored dogs, according to the National Library of Medicine. This is known as Black Dog Syndrome.
Penelope Rivera
/
KERA News
Last year, 3.2 million dogs entered shelters and 360,000 dogs were euthanized across the country, according to the national database Shelter Animals Count.
Marketing coordinator Karla Alvarado-Falcon said the shelter was trying to “think outside of the box” to help dogs get adopted and avoid as many euthanizations as possible.
“We are just hoping to be able to find lots of adopters and fosters for our dogs this season,” Alvarado-Falcon said.
While there aren’t any official numbers, Alvarado-Falcon said she’s noticed a pattern of dogs getting fostered or adopted shortly after they’ve gone on a daycation.
Daycations are just one of a few initiatives the shelter created to encourage people to adopt or foster as summers are the busiest time of the year. In April, DAS offered $50 gift cards to the first 100 people who adopted a dog over 30 pounds or a cat over six months old.
It was first launched before COVID-19 but was put on pause after the pandemic hit. It made its return to the shelter last November to volunteers and officially opened to the public last month.
Similar programs have also been seen in other places, like the “doggy day out” program which has multiple participating shelters around the U.S.
Nathan Thrash, who supervises volunteers at the shelter, said over 60 dogs have been taken out on a daycation since it became open to the public.
“It’s a great way for us to get more information on pets, how they do outside of the shelter…and create an advocate for that dog,” Thrash said.
Luna has since been adopted by a rescue group.
Penelope Rivera is KERA’s news intern. Got a tip? Email Penelope at privera@kera.org.
KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
