St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center is making the world a better place, one field trip at a time. This shelter program had an ingenious idea to create field trip opportunities for the dogs in their shelters. Now, they ask for volunteers to come and take the dogs out of the kennels and out for the day. It is a great way for dogs and people alike to bond and enjoy a day together. The NY Post has a great video that details the ins and outs of how this shelter program works.
St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Shelter Program
Screenshot from St Huberts Animal Welfare Center Instagram
Sarah Sangree, one of the workers at the shelter program, spoke to NY Post about how the program operates. She called it a field trip program and said, "People can come to the shelter and take the dog out for a few hours. Whether they want to take the dog for a walk around the trails near the shelter; whether they want to take the dog home." The variety of options doesn't just stop with walks. Sarah also mentions how some people like to take them for car rides, or to their homes to relax for a few hours. Additionally, on rainy days people will sometimes take them to pet-friendly venues such as Lowes, Home Depot, or even Starbucks for a puppicino.
"We love giving our dogs the opportunity to get out of the kennel, and give them the opportunity to be out in the real world," Sarah adds. This opportunity is great for both the shelter dogs and the people who come to interact with them. For the dogs, it gets them experience socializing with people and it gets them out into the real world. It also gets them exposure. When they go on these field trips they get to show off their personalities. The shelter program has noticed that the dogs that go on field trips end up getting adopted at a higher rate than the dogs that do not go on field trips.
Shelter Program Helps People Too
The shelter also gets valuable information from these trips. Sarah mentions how they get "great pictures" and "valuable information about the dog's behavior." However, it is not just the dogs that benefit, the people benefit too. This field trip program is great for people who would love to have a dog but can't because they live in an area where they are not allowed. It is also great for senior citizens who just want to enjoy the company of an animal for a couple of hours. It is also the perfect in-between activity for those who may want to adopt in the future but are not quite ready yet.
Oftentimes, shelters will ask the volunteers to fill out a sort of doggy report card. They ask questions like how they behaved in the car, on the walk, with other dogs, with people etc. This helps the shelter to gague the dog's behavior in different settings. Need further proof that these field trips are serving their purpose? The NY Post says, "The shelter facilitates 2,300 adoptions a year, and at least half of those animals had at least one day trip with a volunteer." With those odds I think it is safe to say that this shelter program is saving hundreds of dogs' lives.
How You Can Help Animals In Your Local Shelter
If this story got you feeling the need to help, here are some ways you can help animals in your local shelter. First, adopt don't shop. There are so many animals looking for their forever homes in a shelter right now! Go and visit your local animal shelter and give an animal their forever home. If you are not in a position where you can adopt, you can always make a donation to the shelter. Shelters are often in need of financial donations as well as donated items. Check your local shelter's website for a wishlist. They typically add items there that the animals in the shelter could use. Or, if you can't adopt or afford to donate, volunteer your time. Shelters are always looking for volunteers to help with the animals. Furthermore, this option gets you up close and personal with the animals you want to help!
Additionally, if you have a special talent or a knack for social media you can try to promote your local shelter. Watch as this magician performs magic tricks for puppies to help show off their adorable personalities to potential adopters.
No matter which option you choose, the shelter programs and animals will appreciate the help.
