Looking for a fur-ever friend? Sacramento shelter allows daylong dog dates
Sacramento County’s Bradshaw Animal Shelter is letting residents take adoptable dogs out for the day with the Barks and Recreation program.
From having dogs go on hiking trips, pup cup runs to playing in residents’ backyards, this new program seeks to reduce overcrowding rates within Bradshaw Animal Shelter, where, on average, the shelter has 200 adoptable dogs in a year, said Brittani Peterson, a spokesperson for the shelter. She said the program is a “win-win” for the shelter because it gives dogs a better chance at finding a forever home, she said.
“(Overcrowding) is a problem all shelters are suffering with right now. More dogs are coming into the shelters than are being adopted out,” Peterson said. “That’s why this program is so great, because not only does it get these dogs out, it gives them enrichment.”
Peterson said the program has boosted adoptions and assisted in keeping up with overcrowding rates. According to Bradshaw Shelter Animal Count, the facility had 185 dog adoptions the year the program started, with around 170 dogs in the shelter. In March, the shelter had 333 adoptions which steadily kept up with the facility’s increase in dog intakes. That same month, Bradshaw stated 341 dogs were living in the shelter.
By allowing residents to have closer interactions with a dog, they’ve become more inclined to accept them into their everyday lives. Additionally, Barks and Recreation give dogs much needed outdoor enrichment time that they can’t get living in a shelter, she added.
“(A shelter) is not an ideal environment for a dog to live in,” Peterson said. “So we wanted to give them the opportunity to go outside and have some time outside the shelter to help them decompress.”
Since the launch of Barks and Recreation last year, the shelter has seen more dog adoptions, Peterson said.
Peterson said she and her boyfriend participated in the program by taking out a white pit bull named Alena. The two got Alena a Starbucks pup cup and took her out on a hike nearby the American River, Peterson said.
“We already felt really connected to her in the two hours,” Peterson said.
Peterson said Alena was more social, visibly happier and was adopted 24 hours after her next Barks and Recreation trip.
To participate in the program, residents can visit animalcare.saccounty.gov to schedule an appointment. There, they can select a day to temporarily adopt out. In the application, residents can specify what type of dog they’re most comfortable with depending on their size, personality and skill level needed to handle the dog.
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Once a day has been scheduled, Bradshaw will give residents their dog and a goody bag with a leash, harness, water and other supplies. Brittani said residents must return the dog by 4 p.m. on the day of their outing
According to the Barks and Recreation’s webpage, staff advises to not introduce shelter dog to other dogs at home or in public.
