First and foremost, THANK YOU for showing interest in gifting your time to our rescue dogs! By taking them out for just a few hours a day, our temporary residents can exert pent up energy as well as be mentally stimulated to new experiences and people! As a result of a Doggy Day Out, our dogs are less anxious or exuberant when they meet potential adopters and they gain useful life skills that they wouldn’t get from just sitting and waiting in the shelter or foster home. Please read through the following information and if you have any further questions please contact Fostering Hope Animal Rescue at 403-588-8064 or message us on our Facebook page.
WHAT IT IS:
Doggy Day Out is a unique program that allows people who might not be able to have a pet of their own for whatever reason to enjoy the benefits of pet ownership while doing something great for a deserving animal. It encourages people to take rescue dogs on outings and field trips in the community. Whether it be a hike, a trip to a beach or lake, a sleepover in a home or even a nice dinner in a pet friendly restaurant.
PARTICIPANT COMMITMENT:
A huge benefit to this program is it’s flexible and minimal time commitment to participants, allowing members of the public who normally wouldn’t have time to volunteer to engage with the shelter and advocate for the animals. Participants do not have to commit to a minimum amount of outings or undergo training.
WHY JOIN DOGGY DAY OUT?
THE BENEFITS: Everyone benefits from Doggy Day Out. From the dogs, to the participants, to the shelters themselves. It is a win for absolutely everyone involved!
1.) The Dogs: Shelters and foster homes, even well designed and loving ones, can be very stressful for dogs. Especially less adoptable ones that have spent a long time there. Exercise and socialization can help a lot – not just with their stress levels but also with making them more adoptable. The chance to get additional exercise and interact with new people in different environments is a great way to do this. As Doggy Day Out outings tend to mirror more closely how dogs will interact in a home setting, shelter staff can then gather crucial information about the pet to not only improve marketing and adoption efforts, but gain knowledge about the pet to get them placed in a perfect home. One of the biggest benefits for the dogs is it also introduces the dog to a whole new group of potential adopters they never would have met before. Not only do dogs meet new people on their outings, participants are encouraged to take pictures and videos of their canine companion to share on social media, exposing them to a new network of friends and family. These outings have the potential to give that dog the extra push and exposure needed to find the perfect home.
2.) The Participants: The benefits of pet ownership have been well documented. Even limited time spent with a pet reduces stress on a person- and can be such a rewarding experience. A Doggy Day Out excursion can be a concentrated burst of pet therapy for someone unable to have a pet, or maybe grieving a loss of one. With its low barrier to entry and minimal time commitment, Doggy Day Out also allows people with busy schedules a chance to volunteer and do something good.
3.) The Shelters: Creating an additional resource for active and kennel stressed dogs is vital to the mission of Doggy Day Out. This helps ease the burden on kennel, fosters and behavior staff as well as the dogs themselves. Traditionally, most people only interact with a shelter to surrender or adopt a pet or if they have time to volunteer. Doggy Day Out encourages a whole new segment of the population to engage with your organization and become advocates, potential adopters and donors. It’s a way of inviting more of the public to join you in creating a better future for the animals. Doggy Day Out Participants act as ambassadors and advocates for the shelter on their outings, reaching even more people.
HOW DO I JOIN?
It’s easy! Doggy Day out requires the following things:
1) Complete & sign the volunteer information & the volunteer agreement that includes a liability waiver below: this will help us better match participants with dogs. It gets some basic info about your experience with dogs and what you plan to do during their Doggy Day Out. Plus mentions some basic rules.
2) Submit a copy of your driver’s license: simply for the safety of the pets being trusted in your care. This can be done when completing the application above or in person.
3) Read the Participant Manual: this includes policies and expectations as well as information on how to handle emergencies, potential adoptions and interactions with other animals. The manual is in our Doggy Day Out Facebook group or you can get a copy at the rescue.
4) Pick up your supply bag & meet the staff: before your first DDO you need to come to the rescue and pick up supplies. Your bag will have emergency contact information, rescue business cards to hand out, poop bags, safety belt, toy, treats, water bowl, etc. Plus we would love to meet you! Put a face to the name and answer any questions you may have in person.
We look forward to having you included in this amazing program! Please make sure to complete the Doggy Day Out application and join our Facebook group called “The Doggy Day Out Program - Fostering Hope Animal Rescue” to keep up to date with potential dogs looking for a day out!