On Wednesday afternoon, one-year-old pit bull mix Missy had the opportunity to leave her kennel at the Front Street Animal Shelter in Sacramento to go on an adventure with me in the city. I took her out for a few hours as part of the shelter’s relaunched Doggie Day Out program.
On her day out, Missy, who has been at the shelter since January 31, played at the dog park and sniffed around Old Sacramento.
The shelter at Front Street relaunched their Doggie Day Out program in an effort to increase dog adoptions. This program allows community members to give dogs like Missy a break from their kennels in the shelter.
Participants can sign up to take a dog out of the shelter on Wednesdays or Saturdays. Appointment pickups are from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., and participants can drop their dog off from 1 pm. to 4 p.m.
You can take the dog on a hike, get it a “pup cup” or ice cream, visit dog-friendly breweries and restaurants, or take them home.
Missy is a year-old pit bull mix that is up for adoption at the Front Street Animal Shelter.Keyshawn Davis/CapRadioAccording to communication manager Ryan Hinderman, the Doggie Day Out program started before the pandemic, but unfortunately, the shelter had to close the program due to the pandemic.
Hinderman said the shelter didn’t have the bandwidth to run the program because of staffing shortages, but the program was popular in the community.
“We kept getting a lot of requests to bring it back,” Hinderman said. “Our staff really wanted it back for the benefits that it has for the animals, so a couple of our staff members have worked really hard to put it back together, use new technology to make it more efficient, and now we’ve launched it fully to the public again.”
Animal care technician Brooke Baumback attended a seminar from VCA Charities hosted by Maui Humane Society. The latter has a similar program called Beach Buddies, where shelter dogs can be taken to the beach.
Baumback said that Maui Humane Society provided the Front Street Animal Shelter with resources for its Doggie Day Out Program. The shelter received 20 bags, harnesses, and leashes to help with the program.
According to Baumback, since the program relaunched in January, the shelter has sent out 41 dogs, two of which were adopted directly by the participant who took them out.
“Seventeen of them ended up getting adopted about a week or so after,” Baumback said. “Three just went to regular foster –people who already signed up for foster– and 16 of them were still available. One was transferred to rescue; one was euthanized. So that’s like over half already having a positive outcome.”
What to expect
When volunteers sign for their appointment, the shelter asks questions to help pair you with a dog.
“What energy level do you prefer? What do you plan to be doing? What’s your experience with large dogs?” Volunteer and Program Coordinator Abbie Payne said. “We like to make everybody assume that they’re taking out a large, high-energy dog because those are the ones that need to get out the most.”
Prior to taking the dog on an adventure, participants will receive a backpack full of supplies, including treats, a dog water bottle, toys, and more.
The Front Street Animal Shelter provides participants with a backpack full of supplies for the dogs that would help them with anything they need.Keyshawn Davis/CapRadioVolunteers will also get a harness and a leash, poop bags, and a seat belt to help transport the dog in a car. The dog will wear an Adopt Me vest that shows the dog is available for adoption. The dog’s collar has a tag on it just in case the dog happens to escape or run away.
According to Payne, participants will receive a folder inside their backpacks containing the dog’s kennel card and information on the dog they’re taking out.
“It has the guidelines and then any emergency contacts you would need,” Payne said about the folder. “It also has a brochure that one of our amazing volunteers made. It’s like a map, and it has a bunch of different locations that are like dog friendly breweries, hikes, that sort of thing. Some people already come in with ideas, and they’re welcome to do that, but the map is great.”
After you return the dog back to the shelter, there’s a survey that participants can submit that includes notes about what you and the dog did on the day out, and you can submit up to 10 pictures as well.
The pictures and notes you leave create the dog profiles on the adoptable dog’s page.
Missy’s day out
Missy is a sweet brown and white dog who loves toys, cuddles, belly rubs, and treats. She shares her kennel with a male pit bull mix.
For our day out, I decided to take Missy for a walk on the Embarcadero in Old Sacramento, where she explored and sniffed areas that she doesn’t usually have the chance to when in the shelter.
Then we decided to get an ice cream cone from McDonald’s. She ate it in four big bites.
Missy the pit bull mix looks ready to eat an ice cream cone Wednesday Feb. 13, 2025.Keyshawn Davis/CapRadioAfter the snack, I took her to the dog park at The Bernice apartments. Missy loved the area and ran around the entire park before settling in to play with her toys in the backpack the shelter gave us.
Missy got to visit my apartment, where there were toys for her to play with and food for her to eat. Once she got comfortable, she settled in and cuddled, and never lost her smile.
Unfortunately, it was time to return to the shelter after her adventure. Missy eventually lost her smile with the realization she had to return to her kennel. I’m hoping she will be adopted by her forever home. Missy deserves the world, and hopefully, she’ll be able to get adopted soon.
Missy the pit bull mix played with toys at a dog park at The Bernice apartments in downtown Sacramento Wednesday Feb. 13, 2025.Keyshawn Davis/CapRadioCapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you. As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
