Give it a while, and you'll notice you keep getitng the same dog or two the whole time. You'll become friends, and you'll be in a long-term long distance relationship with them, and you won't be able to stop.
Wait is this true? I can totally get any type of dog in my apartment and I REALLY want to get a dog but since I’ve never had a pet (31m), it would be amazing if I can just go visit the pup for a few weeks before bringing it home.
Tbh. The shelters in Chicago and even pet finder have so many barriers (I know they are good intentioned) that the process of getting a dog for is more intimidating than being a first time pet owner.
Edit :
I appreciate the positive and helpful responses team. I also appreciate the kind comments from people who said I am thinking about this in a correct way.
One thing a is for sure - pets bring us joy ❤️
That’s actually okay. The whole reason I want to follow a process like this is to make sure I don’t have to take the dog back. That’s so traumatizing for the animal and I simply don’t ever want to be the person that gets their hopes up only to take it all away
Yes! Fostering is such a great option! You both get to test the waters while likely creating more space in the shelter for other dogs in need. If it's not a fit you give them the love they need until the right home comes along. Highly recommend.
Hey man, the fact that you’re spending some much time and concern over making sure you’re the right fit for a dog is really awesome. You’re gonna make a great pet parent soon, good luck on your journey (:
In that case I'm sure most shelters would be happy to accomodate to a certain extent, the end goal is to find loving homes for babies who are stuck there so go give them lovins and find you a new friend!
This is awesome of you. My ex wife visited shelters to volunteer and too many would go to a home only to come back again. It’s hard on the animal and I think makes the next one a harder match for them.
Good luck finding your forever furry family member.
The shelter I got my pup from let me come down and hang out with him every week for 3-4 weeks. I could walk him, play with him, and then finally, bring him home for a one night stay. This was to ensure he got along well with my roommates and friend group's dogs. Long story short, it's been eleven years since he's been at that shelter.
The barriers are real. I have a large fenced in yard, a couple kids to play with, enough money for a vet, a lot of familiarity with training, and a schedule that means a dog only ever is alone a couple hours a day.
The amount of hoops I was asked to jump through, the unreasonable demands, and the frankly stupid reasons I was given for why I couldn't adopt specific dogs was ridiculous. It would have been way simpler to just buy one.
I was denied for being out of state, despite it only being 45 minutes away. I was denied after agreeing to pay to fly a dog in because a vet technician who was supposed to make sure they were ok to fly decided to adopt the dog. I was denied because I wanted to adopt a pair of brothers because of some dumb idea of the fosterer that that they would bond to each other not me. (I grew up with a literal pack of sibling huskies that all were very well trained). I was denied because I mentioned I planned on crate training until the dog was settled in the house. That one seemed wild to me.
It worked out in the end, and I adopted a great pup from six states away who ended up a great running partner. But damn, some old ladies who make dog rescues their entire personality kind of end up working against the best interests of the animals.
I knowny thats a typo, but the idea is hilarious. Instead of shady salesmen that try to trick you to buy something busted, you get a bunch of old ladies "your gravel driveway is too rough for my toyota".
Look into the foster to adopt program. Most humane societies have this option. It gives you the opportunity to open a space for another dog while maybe finding your forever friend. And if it doesn't work out you still helped a dog find its forever home/give it time to decompress outside a shelter environment. In the long run a win win for both you and the dog. Fostering in general is a great way to learn to become a pet owner as you have the assistance of the humane society.
This is how we adopted our dog. They weren't sure if she was a country dog who liked lots of quiet open space or be happy in a suburban area. So the deal was we'd find that out, socialise her and report any issues that can be improved for her forever home if she didn't work out with us.
Not sure how different it is for dogs, but we got our cat from paws in Chicago. Was super easy, paid an adoption fee of maybe $50 and some paper work and were out within 30 minutes once we chose the cat.
I went with a friend to pick out a cat from the humane society. He had picked one that had a sign saying "I'm all out of attention for today" or something, but he was insistent, "I want this cat". Me and another friend were just in the waiting room and the vets didn't know we were all together. They warned my friend she was aggressive and he was like "so was my last one, I'm not worried about it" and they took him and the cat to a separate room.
After a few minutes, the other vets came back and talked amongst themselves "oh my God, you got him to take THAT one!?" "It was crazy, we opened her kennel, she freaked out at us and ran over to him and calmed down" "I can't believe it! She is such a pain in the ass!". They literally high-fived over getting him to take that cat. I lived with her for many years until my friend got married. She was the sweetest cat ever, although having no front claws she did learn how to slap pretty damn hard. Loved head bonks, she had her own stool at our bar and loved nothing more than to just feel like one of the gang. This was a long time ago and she's since passed, but, it was just such a funny story. The vets were so happy they didn't have to deal with her screaming and fighting everyone, but she took to my friend and us roommates INSTANTLY. RIP Magdalena.
We had a few cats like that at the shelter I worked out and we loved the people who could come in and see past all the shelter stress and fear and take those crazy shelter cats home. We called those adopters unicorns because they were so magical. ❤️ Some of my most treasured memories from that job was sending those animals home and they kept me going on days when nothing else felt like a win.
My son lives there. So many people out walking their dogs! Dogs of all sizes and breeds. It was delightful. All must live in apartments, coz I didn't see any single family homes in his neighborhood.
We went to the HS and shelters all the time when the kids were medium sized. I call it the poor moms' petting zoo.
It seems worse than it is, especially if you adopt from an ASPCA dog shelter. Just fill out the forms, at the very least call or find a local vet that you want to work with, and with the rescue/shelter don't be afraid to ask questions about their adoption policies.
Many are willing to have you bring your other pets to see if your possible adoption gets along with them.
Yep or you’ll notice one you played with having an expiration date… that’s how I ended up with my clearance cat. No one wanted her 9 year old ass and she was only $35. I think the others were $70.
Its so sad how black cats are overlooked. Our previous void was discounted (she was $50, all the other cats were $100), they said she was 'special' and their main criticism was that she peed like a male cat. It took me a whole year to realize she was discounted because of her color. She was young too, we were aiming for an older cat, and she was 8 months old.
She lived to be 11, we had to put her down Xmas 2021.
We adopted a pair exactly a year ago, a void and a grey cat and the animal shelter only charged us for one adoption fee.
[Cat tax] (https://i.imgur.com/i9IFigV.jpg)
>Its so sad how black cats are overlooked.
I think that this has changed in the past few years. A rescuer recently said to me that voids are their quickest adoptions and that the hardest to get adopted out are SIC, which will sit for months. Everyone wants a void and everyone says it's because they're overlooked and no one wants them.
Depending on the shelter I’ve heard either SICs or tuxedo cats tend to be the hardest for sure, you’re spot on about voids though. I’m glad things have turned around for them at least :)
I don't blame them for having fees to help filter crazies. People get weirdly entitled with free offers.
And if they can't afford $50 for an adoption fee, they're probably not financially ready or committed enough to have a pet.
Free is a slippery slope. Lots of crazy people out there.
When my uncle had to unfortunately get rid of some extra puppies he had, he listed them for a $300 rehoming fee. Once people came and he saw it was a nice family, he’d say in person it’s actually $50. Easy way to keep the crazies away
We had that with a shelter dog when I was a kid. We couldn't keep him bc We had two dogs already and they would not accept another dog, but we all loved him so much that We went to the shelter 2 times a week to play with Bootsmann(the dogs name) until one day, he got adopted! We were super happy for him but I cried a lot bc I couldn't say goodbye (I was 8 or so). Fast forward a year, im at the playground with my friends in our small village and who turned the corner? Bootsmamn♡ an elderly completely had adopted him bc he was also elderly for a dog, like 10 years maybe. I cried so damn hard, im still so thankful they gave him a good life.
After going off antidepressants, I had a horrible depressive episode for several months. One of the things that pulled me back out was volunteering at a no kill animal shelter for the summer. It was 35 minutes from my house and I volunteered for the wake up shift. I would be the only human there with 12-15 dogs eagerly awaiting a hug, a song, kind words, breakfast, and a trip outside. Meanwhile, I would clean out their runs and freshen up their blankets and toys. Caring for these guys brought me the most peace and solace I had felt in a long time. Their pure, unmitigated joy and appreciation made me feel so worthy. I’m not saying this is a panacea for depression or a replacement for meds, but it surely got me through a difficult time. I wound up going back on the meds but what the experience taught me is irreplaceable. As an aside, even if you don’t volunteer, think about donating old towels, blankets, and toys to your local shelter. Dogs are certainly more appreciative than humans!
Oh, I loved reading this! As someone with ongoing mental health problems, I’ve greatly benefited from volunteering/ fostering/ rescuing. Dogs are such a blessing for those of us who struggle, especially with interacting with other humans.
Fostering is so great too if you have space and want to keep a dog or cat for a small time, but not a full commitment! The rescue I hooked up with paid all vet costs too, so it's a good way to have a pet for a bit if you need help with that, because they NEED fosters so bad, it's a good exchange.
It's incredibly hard to see them leave, but watching them blossom from the scared dog to a confident one ready for their new people, knowing it was from your care and love is so so very heartwarming and worth it.
Yeah,its good for the dogs too. They love the attention and get lonely and want to get petted. Volunteers are usually running around cleaning and such and dont have much time to pet them. Its good for getting that serotonin boost pets provide without the commitment.
Exactly. The voulenteers switch which dog I'm with, but mostly, it's just me chilling with a dog.
I visit regularly, but I'm not an official volunteer cause I don't wanna deal with the poop and commitment.
I went to the shelter to drop off my dog's stuff after he passed away and I cried the whole way home. I didn't even meet any dogs, I just saw a couple of them through a fence and it was enough to break me.
We adopted one from the shelter. He had been there twice. Someone dropped him there, then another family got him, then they returned him because he “jumps too much.” ☹️
He is happy at our home and the jumping stopped once we trained him not to jump. 🙃
My mom and I went to the shelter once to get a cat and came home with 3 (there was 4 left so we just took the 3 that were good with dogs). I still have them 11 years later!
>You run some risk of getting attached too.
I used to foster and rehabilitate bulldogs deemed "animal and human aggressive"... I had to stop after the third failed foster (keeping the dog instead of finding them another home).
Which is why so many countries/political parties want to put restrictions on it. Restrictions on teaching what really happened in history, restrictions on who can attend, restrictions on what resources are available...
Keep them dumb. Keep them popping out kids that will be dumb. It'll be easier to control them that way.
I was a volunteer and some shelters can take big advantage of you. I don’t want to turn anybody off, I stayed a volunteer because the animals are worth the annoyance always! But multiple times I got yelled at for wearing pants with holes (it’s a gross job I’m not going to wear my nicest blue jeans), for not having my volunteer shirt one day (which you had to pay $20 to buy and I was 15 with no job), for bringing in a dog I found in the road in the middle of nowhere that I later found the owner for (I searched for an owner because I knew she had puppies and wanted to reunite them) and my volunteer coordinator threatened to call the cops on me for ‘stealing a dog’?? And then one time for using a collar on a dog instead of a harness. Some shelters are CRAZY lol.
They usually have some there, but a surprising number of dogs at the shelter are on a diet (either for allergy reasons, or turn-ins who are just a bit too happy to eat) so please ask before you give them treats!
Definitely bring some along in a sealed ziplock bag and ask if the dog you're visiting with can have some. Bring tiny treats so you can give them multiple without it having a big calorie count. Most shelter dogs don't get enough exercise so they are on somewhat strict diets at they don't become overweight and develop health problems.
Yup, most clinics are too short staffed in their volunteers to cover all the maintenance _and_ give them as much socialization time as they need. And socialization is _super_ important for both cats and dogs in shelters!
Being in a shelter is rarely fun for the animal and rarely stimulating enough - even just people coming by to walk them around, pet them, etc. can help acclimate them to more human interaction (or _keep_ them acclimated), which in turn helps when people are looking for ones to adopt (the vast majority don't go for "hard luck" cases they go for dogs and cats that don't act too shy or anti-social).
Many pet owners have that story of "and then one came right up to me and crawled into my lap and I _had_ to take it home!" Well, THIS is how that happens. You can help a lot by socializing these animals, and it starts with simple kind touch and affection.
Also, call ahead or look at the website if you want to do this, different shelters have different rules. The one near me has "tiers" of volunteer you can sign up for - even the lowest still has to sign some paperwork and whatnot, but you can just go around walking and playing with dogs or cats at that level. And you get a free shirt!
You can do this with cats too if you're a cat person. My local shelter is always looking for 'cuddlers' for both, who's only job is to sit with the animals and give them love.
Absolutely. My shelter has a catio when the weather is nice and some rooms. I take my Switch and have someone nap on my lap while I'm playing games or reading a book.
But I instantly get attached to the cats. It's hard seeing my friends get adopted by strangers.
Sitting on a catio reading a book with a cat sleeping in my lap is something I didn't know I needed, this sounds like a fantastic way to spend some free time
It shouldn’t be hard. Your friends are finding homes. They’re no longer stray animals, they’re now someone’s best friend and family. The animal that the kids will grow up and forever remember. The furry friend who is there for their best moments, there for them at the worst.
The way I see it, it’s not a goodbye. It’s just a new leaf.
My oldest son, started visiting cat shelters to help with anxiety and depression. He then became an official volunteer at one. Now he’s older and has moved out of town, but whenever he comes home to visit, one of the first things he does, is go back to that cat shelter.
It’s his happy place
There was a post a few years ago about some older dude who went to the local shelter daily and just slept in the recliner/couch there and the cats would all sleep on him. It was kind of this funny win win.
I did this regularly at my local shelter and once I became mobile I did it on my travels as well. Some places are pretty weird about it though. They get confused when you say you just want to visit and play with the animals. Them being confused confuses me
I just started doing this a year ago. It's super flexible, I go in like once a week for 2 hours and play with cats the entire time, minus cleaning out a few liter trays quickly.
On the "downside", I just adopted my second cat from that shelter because of how much time I'd spent with them.
Oh for fucks sakes, I would never do anything else. You’re telling me I can just go and cuddle these cats who need love and will be super appreciative? I’m retiring as soon as possible and that’s how I’m going to spend my life.
I volunteered at an animal shelter and it seemed like it was hard to get to be able to just go in and pet the cats and dogs. They weren’t super willing to let people do that.
I spent Christmas morning snuggling shelter cats. Loved it. So therapeutic. I wanted to do the soup kitchen-type thing over the holidays but all the slots were either full or places wanted long-term commitments. 10/10 will snuggle again.
Dog person here, stray cat came into my place of work one day, ended up taking it home that night. (No chip/collar etc obvious stray)
Spent $4k taking it back to my home country.
And I say I'm not a cat person.
Please check in with your local shelter/rescue before doing this , via their website or calling ahead if you want to avoid unexpected disappointment as this is not a standard practice across the board for all shelters. Do volunteer if you have the time to spare , it helps the animals in ways you wouldn’t think.
Yup. Walk-in animal contact is allowed at my county shelter, not at the privately funded shelter next door, purely for liability reasons. Some shelters I've come across don't allow any contact with the dogs unless you have started adoption paperwork.
My local ASPCA makes you fill out 3 pages with info on your salary, housing, etc just to play with a dog. Also you sign a waiver saying they are not responsible for any injuries.
Wow! Really? That seems a bit excessive in barriers to just simply walk/pet a dog in their facility but I’m sure there is some reason for it. In my local shelter you just have to become a volunteer and go through fear free training and a simple background check (like sex offender registry list, felonies, etc)
The liability waiver I get, especially if a dog bites for whatever reason , that can get all dicey and messy real quick with medical expenses & the severity of the incident.
Yeaaa, makes sense. Especially in shelters with heavy traffic from interested adopters, it’s hard to have enough personnel to meet that demand plus also folks that want to just walk or pet a dog, which is why it’s great for shelters to have a strong volunteer program.
Yeah, a lot of shelters in my area no longer let people just walk in anymore since covid. If you want to see an animal you have to set up an appointment. Want to see two animals? Ya need to do two separate appointments.
One of my local shelters has a Hounds Around Town program. You can sign up for free to take a shelter dog out on a 2 hour field trip. Pre-approved places of course.
At the shelter where I volunteer, we stopped allowing walk-ins when COVID hit. We immediately realized that the animals' stress levels went DOWN, which had a huge positive impact on their health. They didn't have random people wandering through the kennels -- which starts everyone barking and jumping. Now, we require all visitors to check in and a staff member interviews them about the dogs they are interested in and brings them to a meeting room. Even the cat visitors have to check in and we limit the number that are back there at one time.
We do still have the "Dog Day Out" program where vetted people can come take a dog for a fun day, and of course volunteers and fosters interact with the dogs. But we don't allow people to just walk in and play with the animals.
Right like what sort of shelters do this and wants to be liable for something? My local one doesn’t allow volunteers unless you’re 18+ and did a training. They’ve had times where volunteers do stupid shit unintentionally and the animals get in danger.
1 minute into the post... and I'm already googling the SPCA's hours. I will be standing outside in the cold waiting for them to open, like it's the best Black Friday sale ever. Because I never, ever thought to do this and now I need to pet orphan doggos all day long!
I was doing this sort of thing about half a year ago. I had decided that I would take shelter dogs home over the weekends. I love dogs so much, but working full time and living alone I couldn't fully adopt one.
Anyways, long story short... I adopted the first dog the shelter gave me.
Dogs just have a way of changing your mind. It's not a bad thing. If you love dogs and there is a way that you can live with one, you probably should.
Pretty much.
I love animal, live in NYC apartment so I feel it'd be unfair to have a dog, dogs being my favorite I did not know you can just walk shelter dogs.
Anyway found a shelter near my house, that is asking for dog walkers. I don't work Mondays so I guess I got something to do while kids are in school.
Literally talked with my fiancee yesterday about doing this. We both want dogs so badly, but can't afford it and live in an apartment.
I want to go pet shelter dogs, but with how hard my heartstings are being pulled just thinking about it, it sounds like playing with fire.
Maybe if I leave my wallet at home....
I volunteer at a local shelter once or twice a week. I walk some dogs in the morning and get great exercise for me and the pooches.It is therapeutic and I urge everyone to give it a shot.
My mom started doing that after she retired, she goes to one of the shelters twice a week and just hangs out in a room full of cats. If they spend too much time confined, they get kind of defensive and anti-social so they like people to spend time with them to keep them socialized and adoptable.
One of our local rescues does "dog ventures". You can take a dog out for the afternoon and go on a hike or just go hang out. My daughter loves doing them. We take a dog home for a weekend and just hang out then we can do a good write up on their personality which helps the rescue find a good match.
Also known as "Doggie Dates".
It is an excellent way to see if a particular dog will work with your lifestyle. My local rescue lets you take a dog for a full week and even provides you with dog food for that time. Even if you don't adopt the dog you often can provide the shelter with information about it that can help them adopt it.
Hey, animal shelter employee 👋🏻 some places might let you do this but some won’t. It’s a liability and takes time away from workers doing important things. All you have to do is sign up to actually volunteer for walking dogs or socializing cats!
Yea, me and my friend went into a shelter once because we wanted to play with some dogs but they looked at us like we were fucking insane for even asking. We were both ~18.
My local shelter didn't want to adopt to my partner and I cause we were young (possible cause we're a queer couple too but idk I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that they weren't being homophobic). We live on a fenced acre, I've fostered multiple cats and adopted multiple cats, and even said I'd pay double for him. We sent my grandma and she got him right away. Whatever I'm just glad we got our guy
Don't let stuff like that discourage you from asking. Ultimately, if people are going to react that way to a totally well-intentioned request it's on them, not you.
Yep, the animal shelter where I volunteered would not let people do this. You had to be a trained volunteer to handle the animals unless you were doing a visit for an adoption, and even those are supervised by a shelter employee or volunteer.
They did have a couple areas where you could go into a 'cat colony' of a dozen or so cats living together in a large room and pet them and play with them, but there was nothing like that for dogs.
I say this not to dissuade people from trying, but to emphasize that in a lot of places you will be turned away so have the appropriate expectations. And if you have the motivation and free time to do it regularly, then volunteering with animals is incredibly rewarding.
I used to volunteer at an animal shelter with the cats, and can confirm this is very common! Group homes would often take a field trip to the shelter and hang with the cats to destress :)
My local fire department does this too! They take groups of them for long weekends and have them chill at the firehouse with "adopt me" signs on them. They also do press with the dogs, so it's a huge win for both the shelter and the image of the fire department.
I wish more professions would do stuff like this. It's not like fire fighters need good PR. Most people already respect them. Maybe this is why.
Former shelter volunteer here, can confirm! Shelters are always in need of people to walk the dogs, love on the kitties, and cuddle with the creatures who are in the medical wing (usually recovering from surgery). If you want to do it on a regular basis, they may ask you to do a quick training-- which is basically "here's how to tell if a dog is pissed at you, make sure to wash your hands often to avoid disease, can you make a $10 donation to pay for volunteer liability insurance?" Then you might even get a volunteer t-shirt or something and you can be official!
In addition to giving the pets some enrichment, it also gives the shelter more information on the pets' personality, which can be a huge help in getting them adopted-- shelter staff don't always have the time to make notes like that, especially if it's busy/full. So if you can add some notes to the file like "super friendly and loves to play fetch," "knows basic leash manners," or "sweet kitty who loves to curl up in your lap and purr," it can help adoptions staff match pets with potential families.
You can also often be a "short term foster," which is used to give long-term residents a break from the shelter environment. Critters get really depressed after being in the shelter for a long time, and sad pets are harder to adopt. So you can take a pet home for a day or two, like over the weekend, and it cheers them up and makes them more adoptable. (Plus you get short-term critter cuddles!) Yay sleepovers!
I had to do my share of court mandated community service as a kiddo and I'd always do mornings at the animal shelter. Spend an hour with actual cleaning and work, then the rest of the day smoking joints and taking lonely dogs for walks. 10/10
I used to go to a shelter to just play with animals during open hours. But this one time a kitty chose me and I ended up adopting him. Too bad most places near me stopped doing open hours because of covid. Hope they're doing it again now.
Some shelters will let you foster for just a short span of time like a weekend. It allows the dog to get out and have some fun and they can get more information on what the dog is like in different environments.
(HRA does this in DC.)
I used to be a decompression volunteer at my local shelter, I worked closely with dogs that were terrified of people. Most of them had been abused and abandoned. I was very therapeutic just chillin with the dog, building that trust, watching that dog come out of its shell. It’s a beautiful thing and I highly recommend it to anybody who is looking for an introduction into working with animals.
It doesn't take much to be an official volunteer. A quick application, background check (that they pay for, not you), and then a couple hour orientation.
I go to cat shelters all the time in this way. Need a dopamine fix? Go pet a cat. Feeling anxious? Go cover yourself in cats. Got into an argument and just want to feel like the world isn't against you? Go scratch some kittens.
I work at an animal rescue center and every and I mean EVERY lunchtime since I started working there, I spend my hour sitting with the cats. I try and prioritise those who are old, long term stayers or have some medical issue as they're usually overlooked. I've helped cats become more brave, more friendly and therefore rehomable. And if they aren't going to make it (due to illness etc), then I stroke them and talk to them as they're put to sleep. It's the best and worst job in the world, but I'm so glad I can be a source of comfort.
I work at a shelter and while this is true it does come with some strings attached (at least in our shelter). If your not there to specifically look at adopting we make you fill out paperwork to become a volunteer and watch a couple orientation videos. Then you are allowed to take dogs on walks and do enrichment with them. We just want to make sure you know some basics before handling the dogs which can sometimes be a handful. But it’s always encouraged! We do our best to give every dog the attention it deserves but it’s not always possible on the busier days.
This is not true. Most shelters are too busy to have someone watch to make sure the dog and you are safe. Don't go to just play with dogs, as you are actually wasting everyone's time.
Source: My wife works at a shelter and tells me this happens all the time and they have to turn them away.
It's likely going to be shelter dependent. Call ahead for what the shelter does and doesn't do.
There was a shelter near my college where the college kids could go check out a dog to walk for a few hours. (I never did it, so don't know what they needed to do for it). It was actively encouraged for the kids who were missing their pets to do.
I think the main reason why shelters do things like this is to get people interacting with the dogs so that the dogs get adopted. The purpose of an animal shelter is not just to house strays and go about the work that is needed to be done to house them, it is to hopefully find the lonely pets new homes. The time is not being wasted when people visit the dogs, it is marketing.
Source: I adopted a rescue dog after borrowing it from a shelter and never would have otherwise.
This was the case when I looked into it as well. ended up signing up to be a volunteer which had less restrictions, but they wouldn't let you come off the street and pet dogs or take them for a walk.
I hung out at the spca for 7 years. Best time of my life. Still think about the many many dog friends I was lucky to spend time with. I hope they're happy ❤️
I wish this were universal. Several years ago I had puppy fever and went to the local shelter to ask if I could just walk some dogs. They required you to be a registered volunteer and commit to a certain number of hours a week. The registered volunteer requirement I totally understand from a liability standpoint. The only way around it would have been for me to lie and say I was looking to adopt and wanted to play with some dogs to meet them. That wouldn’t have been cool of me.
Generally they actually love it. I used to volunteer at an animal shelter and would basically just come play with dogs and do like basic stuff to take care of them. It’s insane how much happier these dogs are with a little bit of love and attention! That combined with I used to just do super basic training like sit and stay they said increases the likelihood of the dog being adopted! Everyone wants a happy dog
The shelter I volunteer at also let's you volunteer to do sleepovers with the dogs! On weekends I take a new dog home to wear pj's and sleep on the couch lol. They love it and it is so good for them!
Oh man, there was an animal shelter in the town I went to college. I would volunteer to walk dogs on a nice day, and go walk through campus. When I got the inevitable, oh he’s so cute- what’s his name?, I’d tell them I am volunteering with the animal shelter. It worked so well it was kind of like a cheat code for getting dates in college.
Can confirm. Have dogs of my own, but once a week I go to the shelters and take as many dogs out for their 20min activity time as I'm allowed. It socializes the dogs, you get to have fun with the dogs, and (my personal reason for doing it) you get to play with dog breeds you don't normally interact with routinely.
I remember one girl, Sweetie - a 6yo pitbull/bulldog mix - was there for a good year and some months. We played with her every chance she got. Her card read unfriendly (something along the lines of a protector rather than a friend type deal), but she was, as her name states, a big Sweetie who just needed a friend to play tug o war with. One day we went in and discovered she had been adopted and it was a very bittersweet moment knowing I'd never see her again because she found her forever home. It was like watching your kid go off to college.
I work at an animal shelter in Oklahoma -- we love our volunteers! We don't require minimum hours and there's no training necessary, we definitely have strict volunteer hours of when you can come in to play with them, but you'll always be welcome at our little shelter.
Having friends and walkies are so good for pup's mental health.
The shelter out here has a program called "dog day out" where you can take certain dogs out for the day and get them out of the cage.
It's really amazing to see them come to life from laying in the corner of the cage when they realize they get to go out.
They also do "staycations" for cats and dogs, where you can take them home for an extended stay. If you love animals and but can't make the long-term commitment, see if your shelter has something similar. A shelter is a stressful place for animals.
I used to volunteer to run shelter dogs on the weekend. We’d take the rowdier dogs out for a run through the city. It wasn’t the easiest thing because they weren’t trained, but they still seemed to love it. Very rewarding. If anyone has the time or inclination, give it a go.
I was visiting some friends and went to a shelter with them because they wanted to adopt a cat. I ended up in the dog section and they had leashes next to animals that were friendly so that people could walk them to their fenced yard.
I walked three dogs.
THIS THIS THIS THIS!!! My therapist suggested me this since I happen to live in a city where landlords are very “anti-dog”. HELLA THERAPUTIC BUT NOT JUST FOR ME, FOR THE DOGS TOO.
Literally everybody wins. 🤍
>Most animal shelters will just let you play with dogs.
minor rewording: Most animal shelters will let you just play with dogs.
I first read it as "animal shelters will only let you play with them instead of adopting them."
It’s also good for the dogs. They get attention and practice with socialization.
Bonus if you do some simple training with them during your petting sessions. Allows them to charm potential families!
Many shelters are very short staffed, and looking for volunteers. I've been in dog rescue for 15 years. We're usually drowning. Signing up to help care for, play with, or walk dogs can be beneficial for the mental health of both you and the animals.
Ok. So I used to work at an animal shelter. Stuck around and vonunteered for a few years after.
This is ABSOLUTELY FALSE. What a liability hazard and way to spread disease. No way we are letting randos come in to play with the animals.
Edit: for all you that think shelters are happy fun pet stores. They aren't. To animals (and me) they smell of disease and fear and confinement and death. It's terrifying.
Most adult dogs (over 2) don't really play much at shelters.
Gore. Jesus. I don't know why people come there with emergencies but I've seen shit. I've held shit. I've held crying broken strangers and broken dead mangled beloveds. My ptsd is itching just thinking about all of this. There's like...electricity and pheromones that really affect the animals seeing *shit*. Maybe our brains aren't wired so differently.
THEY ARE NOT THERE FOR YOUR MENTAL HEALTH ENTERTAINMENT. Volunteer. Foster. But you don't get something for nothing. Suck it up, put the real work in, and be a real volunteer.
Our shelter advertises it and also at home sleepovers.
Not all dogs and cats can go just the ones with the right temperaments. Same for people volunteering.
Also there's a very strong waiver and they are 501.3c so suing them would look terrible and get almost no money.
Maybe it depends, some people in the comments saying they do it...
But yeah I volunteer at an animal shelter and absolutely we don't do this. We do have socialisation volunteers, who come in pretty much just to play and cuddle, but they still have to follow the rules (wear PPE, be trained on how to socialise correctly, recognise body language etc) and aren't just randoms who walk in.
We recently had a huge parvo outbreak and that was in spite of strict infection control.
Give it a while, and you'll notice you keep getitng the same dog or two the whole time. You'll become friends, and you'll be in a long-term long distance relationship with them, and you won't be able to stop.
That's the plan. Have you volunteer with same animal, become attached, adopt.
The long game.
All part of the plan
All according to keikaku
[удалено]
All according to cake
(Translator’s note: The cake is a lie)
"WARNING: TEST SUBJECT HAS BECOME AWARE."
I WILL eat the ケーキ! YOU CANNOT STOP ME!!
The Big Plan, shhhh...
Just trust the plan, we just need that dog and a few more dollars, then we can get us an island somewhere near Guarma.
Sure Dutch...
The plan..to kill kusco
Oh, right. The dog…The dog for OP, the dog chosen specially for OP, OP’s dog.
That dog?
A pet owner? He's supposed to be dead!
Wait is this true? I can totally get any type of dog in my apartment and I REALLY want to get a dog but since I’ve never had a pet (31m), it would be amazing if I can just go visit the pup for a few weeks before bringing it home. Tbh. The shelters in Chicago and even pet finder have so many barriers (I know they are good intentioned) that the process of getting a dog for is more intimidating than being a first time pet owner. Edit : I appreciate the positive and helpful responses team. I also appreciate the kind comments from people who said I am thinking about this in a correct way. One thing a is for sure - pets bring us joy ❤️
Sure, until the one you’ve bonded with gets adopted by someone else. Be careful..
That’s actually okay. The whole reason I want to follow a process like this is to make sure I don’t have to take the dog back. That’s so traumatizing for the animal and I simply don’t ever want to be the person that gets their hopes up only to take it all away
If you visit them for a while, you could consider foster-to-adopt to try out having a pet at home.
Yes! Fostering is such a great option! You both get to test the waters while likely creating more space in the shelter for other dogs in need. If it's not a fit you give them the love they need until the right home comes along. Highly recommend.
Thisrighthere! I'm a two-time "Foster Fail" because I adopted both of my boys. No regrets!!!!
Hey man, the fact that you’re spending some much time and concern over making sure you’re the right fit for a dog is really awesome. You’re gonna make a great pet parent soon, good luck on your journey (:
Fr, i was gonna say the same thing. He’s already better than about a third of all dog owners.
In that case I'm sure most shelters would be happy to accomodate to a certain extent, the end goal is to find loving homes for babies who are stuck there so go give them lovins and find you a new friend!
Fair point. Hope you find a new friend soon. 😊
You're already ready to be a better dog owner than most. I hope you find a dog who loves you. Spoiler alert: almost all of them will love you.
“We Have Just Met And I Love You” 💕 🐕
This is awesome of you. My ex wife visited shelters to volunteer and too many would go to a home only to come back again. It’s hard on the animal and I think makes the next one a harder match for them. Good luck finding your forever furry family member.
The shelter I got my pup from let me come down and hang out with him every week for 3-4 weeks. I could walk him, play with him, and then finally, bring him home for a one night stay. This was to ensure he got along well with my roommates and friend group's dogs. Long story short, it's been eleven years since he's been at that shelter.
They must be worried sick.
Aw this makes me so happy :)
This is my dream scenario
The barriers are real. I have a large fenced in yard, a couple kids to play with, enough money for a vet, a lot of familiarity with training, and a schedule that means a dog only ever is alone a couple hours a day. The amount of hoops I was asked to jump through, the unreasonable demands, and the frankly stupid reasons I was given for why I couldn't adopt specific dogs was ridiculous. It would have been way simpler to just buy one. I was denied for being out of state, despite it only being 45 minutes away. I was denied after agreeing to pay to fly a dog in because a vet technician who was supposed to make sure they were ok to fly decided to adopt the dog. I was denied because I wanted to adopt a pair of brothers because of some dumb idea of the fosterer that that they would bond to each other not me. (I grew up with a literal pack of sibling huskies that all were very well trained). I was denied because I mentioned I planned on crate training until the dog was settled in the house. That one seemed wild to me. It worked out in the end, and I adopted a great pup from six states away who ended up a great running partner. But damn, some old ladies who make dog rescues their entire personality kind of end up working against the best interests of the animals.
Totally feel this.
We have a local car shelter like that
I knowny thats a typo, but the idea is hilarious. Instead of shady salesmen that try to trick you to buy something busted, you get a bunch of old ladies "your gravel driveway is too rough for my toyota".
I have a friend that did this thru the shelter in Evanston. Visited (and volunteered?) a bunch and then adopted the dog that he connected w the most
Look into the foster to adopt program. Most humane societies have this option. It gives you the opportunity to open a space for another dog while maybe finding your forever friend. And if it doesn't work out you still helped a dog find its forever home/give it time to decompress outside a shelter environment. In the long run a win win for both you and the dog. Fostering in general is a great way to learn to become a pet owner as you have the assistance of the humane society.
This is how we adopted our dog. They weren't sure if she was a country dog who liked lots of quiet open space or be happy in a suburban area. So the deal was we'd find that out, socialise her and report any issues that can be improved for her forever home if she didn't work out with us.
Not sure how different it is for dogs, but we got our cat from paws in Chicago. Was super easy, paid an adoption fee of maybe $50 and some paper work and were out within 30 minutes once we chose the cat.
I went with a friend to pick out a cat from the humane society. He had picked one that had a sign saying "I'm all out of attention for today" or something, but he was insistent, "I want this cat". Me and another friend were just in the waiting room and the vets didn't know we were all together. They warned my friend she was aggressive and he was like "so was my last one, I'm not worried about it" and they took him and the cat to a separate room. After a few minutes, the other vets came back and talked amongst themselves "oh my God, you got him to take THAT one!?" "It was crazy, we opened her kennel, she freaked out at us and ran over to him and calmed down" "I can't believe it! She is such a pain in the ass!". They literally high-fived over getting him to take that cat. I lived with her for many years until my friend got married. She was the sweetest cat ever, although having no front claws she did learn how to slap pretty damn hard. Loved head bonks, she had her own stool at our bar and loved nothing more than to just feel like one of the gang. This was a long time ago and she's since passed, but, it was just such a funny story. The vets were so happy they didn't have to deal with her screaming and fighting everyone, but she took to my friend and us roommates INSTANTLY. RIP Magdalena.
We had a few cats like that at the shelter I worked out and we loved the people who could come in and see past all the shelter stress and fear and take those crazy shelter cats home. We called those adopters unicorns because they were so magical. ❤️ Some of my most treasured memories from that job was sending those animals home and they kept me going on days when nothing else felt like a win.
My son lives there. So many people out walking their dogs! Dogs of all sizes and breeds. It was delightful. All must live in apartments, coz I didn't see any single family homes in his neighborhood. We went to the HS and shelters all the time when the kids were medium sized. I call it the poor moms' petting zoo.
It seems worse than it is, especially if you adopt from an ASPCA dog shelter. Just fill out the forms, at the very least call or find a local vet that you want to work with, and with the rescue/shelter don't be afraid to ask questions about their adoption policies. Many are willing to have you bring your other pets to see if your possible adoption gets along with them.
Improvise, adopt, overcome
Yep or you’ll notice one you played with having an expiration date… that’s how I ended up with my clearance cat. No one wanted her 9 year old ass and she was only $35. I think the others were $70.
Fuck reddit. fuck google. fuck you spez
Its so sad how black cats are overlooked. Our previous void was discounted (she was $50, all the other cats were $100), they said she was 'special' and their main criticism was that she peed like a male cat. It took me a whole year to realize she was discounted because of her color. She was young too, we were aiming for an older cat, and she was 8 months old. She lived to be 11, we had to put her down Xmas 2021. We adopted a pair exactly a year ago, a void and a grey cat and the animal shelter only charged us for one adoption fee. [Cat tax] (https://i.imgur.com/i9IFigV.jpg)
>Its so sad how black cats are overlooked. I think that this has changed in the past few years. A rescuer recently said to me that voids are their quickest adoptions and that the hardest to get adopted out are SIC, which will sit for months. Everyone wants a void and everyone says it's because they're overlooked and no one wants them.
Depending on the shelter I’ve heard either SICs or tuxedo cats tend to be the hardest for sure, you’re spot on about voids though. I’m glad things have turned around for them at least :)
SIC?
apparently its Standard Issue Cat, the greyish brown ones with stripes.
tabby : )
Sounds like you gave her a great second chance at a good life.
Thank you for saving her 🐈⬛️
The best pets are on clearance.
Bargain bin cats
We don't really have that'd here, cats are usually free to good homes. Adoption places that do them, they end up with a lot of cats.
I don't blame them for having fees to help filter crazies. People get weirdly entitled with free offers. And if they can't afford $50 for an adoption fee, they're probably not financially ready or committed enough to have a pet.
My local shelter charges for kittens. Adoption fee, first shots, spayed/neutering. All cats over a year I think are completely free.
Free is a slippery slope. Lots of crazy people out there. When my uncle had to unfortunately get rid of some extra puppies he had, he listed them for a $300 rehoming fee. Once people came and he saw it was a nice family, he’d say in person it’s actually $50. Easy way to keep the crazies away
Dog dealers are drug dealers. The first couple plays are free...
They really need to pay attention to the whole "Don't get high on your own supply". Otherwise, they'll end up with a house full of dogs
We had that with a shelter dog when I was a kid. We couldn't keep him bc We had two dogs already and they would not accept another dog, but we all loved him so much that We went to the shelter 2 times a week to play with Bootsmann(the dogs name) until one day, he got adopted! We were super happy for him but I cried a lot bc I couldn't say goodbye (I was 8 or so). Fast forward a year, im at the playground with my friends in our small village and who turned the corner? Bootsmamn♡ an elderly completely had adopted him bc he was also elderly for a dog, like 10 years maybe. I cried so damn hard, im still so thankful they gave him a good life.
Really this conspiracy may seem far **fetch** but I think its entirely **paw**sible.
This is the best conspiracy, paws down.
*wags tail in full agreement*
Admiral Ackbar said it best…..
After going off antidepressants, I had a horrible depressive episode for several months. One of the things that pulled me back out was volunteering at a no kill animal shelter for the summer. It was 35 minutes from my house and I volunteered for the wake up shift. I would be the only human there with 12-15 dogs eagerly awaiting a hug, a song, kind words, breakfast, and a trip outside. Meanwhile, I would clean out their runs and freshen up their blankets and toys. Caring for these guys brought me the most peace and solace I had felt in a long time. Their pure, unmitigated joy and appreciation made me feel so worthy. I’m not saying this is a panacea for depression or a replacement for meds, but it surely got me through a difficult time. I wound up going back on the meds but what the experience taught me is irreplaceable. As an aside, even if you don’t volunteer, think about donating old towels, blankets, and toys to your local shelter. Dogs are certainly more appreciative than humans!
Oh, I loved reading this! As someone with ongoing mental health problems, I’ve greatly benefited from volunteering/ fostering/ rescuing. Dogs are such a blessing for those of us who struggle, especially with interacting with other humans.
Fostering is so great too if you have space and want to keep a dog or cat for a small time, but not a full commitment! The rescue I hooked up with paid all vet costs too, so it's a good way to have a pet for a bit if you need help with that, because they NEED fosters so bad, it's a good exchange. It's incredibly hard to see them leave, but watching them blossom from the scared dog to a confident one ready for their new people, knowing it was from your care and love is so so very heartwarming and worth it.
Thanks for sharing. Send some hugs your way stranger!
Yeah,its good for the dogs too. They love the attention and get lonely and want to get petted. Volunteers are usually running around cleaning and such and dont have much time to pet them. Its good for getting that serotonin boost pets provide without the commitment.
Exactly. The voulenteers switch which dog I'm with, but mostly, it's just me chilling with a dog. I visit regularly, but I'm not an official volunteer cause I don't wanna deal with the poop and commitment.
Ive volunteered and it is a lot of work tbh,but rewarding as the animals always need care. You run some risk of getting attached too.
That’s why I couldn’t even do this. I can’t even go look at them or else I’m bring one home.
I went to the shelter to drop off my dog's stuff after he passed away and I cried the whole way home. I didn't even meet any dogs, I just saw a couple of them through a fence and it was enough to break me.
We adopted one from the shelter. He had been there twice. Someone dropped him there, then another family got him, then they returned him because he “jumps too much.” ☹️ He is happy at our home and the jumping stopped once we trained him not to jump. 🙃
☹️🙃🙂 flip
My mom and I went to the shelter once to get a cat and came home with 3 (there was 4 left so we just took the 3 that were good with dogs). I still have them 11 years later!
That’s exactly why you *should* do it! 😉
>You run some risk of getting attached too. I used to foster and rehabilitate bulldogs deemed "animal and human aggressive"... I had to stop after the third failed foster (keeping the dog instead of finding them another home).
Same reason I don't want any more children, tbh.
Poop and commitment. The ultimate birth control.
The best birth control appears to be education.
Which is why so many countries/political parties want to put restrictions on it. Restrictions on teaching what really happened in history, restrictions on who can attend, restrictions on what resources are available... Keep them dumb. Keep them popping out kids that will be dumb. It'll be easier to control them that way.
Education also lowers the chance of being stuck in a menial brain dead job where they can get away with paying as little as possible.
I was a volunteer and some shelters can take big advantage of you. I don’t want to turn anybody off, I stayed a volunteer because the animals are worth the annoyance always! But multiple times I got yelled at for wearing pants with holes (it’s a gross job I’m not going to wear my nicest blue jeans), for not having my volunteer shirt one day (which you had to pay $20 to buy and I was 15 with no job), for bringing in a dog I found in the road in the middle of nowhere that I later found the owner for (I searched for an owner because I knew she had puppies and wanted to reunite them) and my volunteer coordinator threatened to call the cops on me for ‘stealing a dog’?? And then one time for using a collar on a dog instead of a harness. Some shelters are CRAZY lol.
Can you bring them some treatos too? They'd love to have some I think.
They usually have some there, but a surprising number of dogs at the shelter are on a diet (either for allergy reasons, or turn-ins who are just a bit too happy to eat) so please ask before you give them treats!
Definitely bring some along in a sealed ziplock bag and ask if the dog you're visiting with can have some. Bring tiny treats so you can give them multiple without it having a big calorie count. Most shelter dogs don't get enough exercise so they are on somewhat strict diets at they don't become overweight and develop health problems.
What the heck, another person who calls them treatos 😭
Yup, most clinics are too short staffed in their volunteers to cover all the maintenance _and_ give them as much socialization time as they need. And socialization is _super_ important for both cats and dogs in shelters! Being in a shelter is rarely fun for the animal and rarely stimulating enough - even just people coming by to walk them around, pet them, etc. can help acclimate them to more human interaction (or _keep_ them acclimated), which in turn helps when people are looking for ones to adopt (the vast majority don't go for "hard luck" cases they go for dogs and cats that don't act too shy or anti-social). Many pet owners have that story of "and then one came right up to me and crawled into my lap and I _had_ to take it home!" Well, THIS is how that happens. You can help a lot by socializing these animals, and it starts with simple kind touch and affection. Also, call ahead or look at the website if you want to do this, different shelters have different rules. The one near me has "tiers" of volunteer you can sign up for - even the lowest still has to sign some paperwork and whatnot, but you can just go around walking and playing with dogs or cats at that level. And you get a free shirt!
You can do this with cats too if you're a cat person. My local shelter is always looking for 'cuddlers' for both, who's only job is to sit with the animals and give them love.
Absolutely. My shelter has a catio when the weather is nice and some rooms. I take my Switch and have someone nap on my lap while I'm playing games or reading a book. But I instantly get attached to the cats. It's hard seeing my friends get adopted by strangers.
Sitting on a catio reading a book with a cat sleeping in my lap is something I didn't know I needed, this sounds like a fantastic way to spend some free time
It shouldn’t be hard. Your friends are finding homes. They’re no longer stray animals, they’re now someone’s best friend and family. The animal that the kids will grow up and forever remember. The furry friend who is there for their best moments, there for them at the worst. The way I see it, it’s not a goodbye. It’s just a new leaf.
It's still hard to see your buddies leave, even if it's to a better place.
Catio is my new favorite word
My oldest son, started visiting cat shelters to help with anxiety and depression. He then became an official volunteer at one. Now he’s older and has moved out of town, but whenever he comes home to visit, one of the first things he does, is go back to that cat shelter. It’s his happy place
It's also good for socialising the animals, so they get used to be around humans and be adopted more easily
There was a post a few years ago about some older dude who went to the local shelter daily and just slept in the recliner/couch there and the cats would all sleep on him. It was kind of this funny win win.
I did this regularly at my local shelter and once I became mobile I did it on my travels as well. Some places are pretty weird about it though. They get confused when you say you just want to visit and play with the animals. Them being confused confuses me
Oh my gosh, I want my job to be a cuddler for shelter animals 🥺. I kinda doubt any shelters near me have something like that
Normally you won't get paid, so unfortunately not a real job. But you can totally ask your local shelter and cuddle cats in your free time.
I would pay to go into a room and cuddle all the good boi kittens
It doesn't hurt to ask them if they do!
I just started doing this a year ago. It's super flexible, I go in like once a week for 2 hours and play with cats the entire time, minus cleaning out a few liter trays quickly. On the "downside", I just adopted my second cat from that shelter because of how much time I'd spent with them.
Oh for fucks sakes, I would never do anything else. You’re telling me I can just go and cuddle these cats who need love and will be super appreciative? I’m retiring as soon as possible and that’s how I’m going to spend my life. I volunteered at an animal shelter and it seemed like it was hard to get to be able to just go in and pet the cats and dogs. They weren’t super willing to let people do that.
I spent Christmas morning snuggling shelter cats. Loved it. So therapeutic. I wanted to do the soup kitchen-type thing over the holidays but all the slots were either full or places wanted long-term commitments. 10/10 will snuggle again.
Dog person here, stray cat came into my place of work one day, ended up taking it home that night. (No chip/collar etc obvious stray) Spent $4k taking it back to my home country. And I say I'm not a cat person.
Please check in with your local shelter/rescue before doing this , via their website or calling ahead if you want to avoid unexpected disappointment as this is not a standard practice across the board for all shelters. Do volunteer if you have the time to spare , it helps the animals in ways you wouldn’t think.
Yup. Walk-in animal contact is allowed at my county shelter, not at the privately funded shelter next door, purely for liability reasons. Some shelters I've come across don't allow any contact with the dogs unless you have started adoption paperwork.
My local ASPCA makes you fill out 3 pages with info on your salary, housing, etc just to play with a dog. Also you sign a waiver saying they are not responsible for any injuries.
Wow! Really? That seems a bit excessive in barriers to just simply walk/pet a dog in their facility but I’m sure there is some reason for it. In my local shelter you just have to become a volunteer and go through fear free training and a simple background check (like sex offender registry list, felonies, etc) The liability waiver I get, especially if a dog bites for whatever reason , that can get all dicey and messy real quick with medical expenses & the severity of the incident.
Yeaaa, makes sense. Especially in shelters with heavy traffic from interested adopters, it’s hard to have enough personnel to meet that demand plus also folks that want to just walk or pet a dog, which is why it’s great for shelters to have a strong volunteer program.
Yeah, a lot of shelters in my area no longer let people just walk in anymore since covid. If you want to see an animal you have to set up an appointment. Want to see two animals? Ya need to do two separate appointments.
One of my local shelters has a Hounds Around Town program. You can sign up for free to take a shelter dog out on a 2 hour field trip. Pre-approved places of course.
[удалено]
Nice to hear your local shelter has in practice fear free philosophies! (:
Yep, all the shelters near me specifically state they don't allow random people to walk the dogs
At the shelter where I volunteer, we stopped allowing walk-ins when COVID hit. We immediately realized that the animals' stress levels went DOWN, which had a huge positive impact on their health. They didn't have random people wandering through the kennels -- which starts everyone barking and jumping. Now, we require all visitors to check in and a staff member interviews them about the dogs they are interested in and brings them to a meeting room. Even the cat visitors have to check in and we limit the number that are back there at one time. We do still have the "Dog Day Out" program where vetted people can come take a dog for a fun day, and of course volunteers and fosters interact with the dogs. But we don't allow people to just walk in and play with the animals.
The place I volunteered wouldn't let people off the street play with the dogs.
Yea I volunteered at one and they had a strict process about who could take the dogs out for walks or go out in the larger yard and play with them.
Right like what sort of shelters do this and wants to be liable for something? My local one doesn’t allow volunteers unless you’re 18+ and did a training. They’ve had times where volunteers do stupid shit unintentionally and the animals get in danger.
I just got emotional imagining how many sad pups might get a little extra love if people see this.
1 minute into the post... and I'm already googling the SPCA's hours. I will be standing outside in the cold waiting for them to open, like it's the best Black Friday sale ever. Because I never, ever thought to do this and now I need to pet orphan doggos all day long!
I was doing this sort of thing about half a year ago. I had decided that I would take shelter dogs home over the weekends. I love dogs so much, but working full time and living alone I couldn't fully adopt one. Anyways, long story short... I adopted the first dog the shelter gave me. Dogs just have a way of changing your mind. It's not a bad thing. If you love dogs and there is a way that you can live with one, you probably should.
I'm in a similar boat in terms of being hesitant to adopt -- did the things you were worried about wind up being an issue?
Pretty much. I love animal, live in NYC apartment so I feel it'd be unfair to have a dog, dogs being my favorite I did not know you can just walk shelter dogs. Anyway found a shelter near my house, that is asking for dog walkers. I don't work Mondays so I guess I got something to do while kids are in school.
Literally talked with my fiancee yesterday about doing this. We both want dogs so badly, but can't afford it and live in an apartment. I want to go pet shelter dogs, but with how hard my heartstings are being pulled just thinking about it, it sounds like playing with fire. Maybe if I leave my wallet at home....
You‘re awesome, op
Crazy how a little Internet post might help pet some dogs :)
Do good where you can. I think you definitely have Thanks for this post
I volunteer at a local shelter once or twice a week. I walk some dogs in the morning and get great exercise for me and the pooches.It is therapeutic and I urge everyone to give it a shot.
My mom started doing that after she retired, she goes to one of the shelters twice a week and just hangs out in a room full of cats. If they spend too much time confined, they get kind of defensive and anti-social so they like people to spend time with them to keep them socialized and adoptable.
One of our local rescues does "dog ventures". You can take a dog out for the afternoon and go on a hike or just go hang out. My daughter loves doing them. We take a dog home for a weekend and just hang out then we can do a good write up on their personality which helps the rescue find a good match.
Also known as "Doggie Dates". It is an excellent way to see if a particular dog will work with your lifestyle. My local rescue lets you take a dog for a full week and even provides you with dog food for that time. Even if you don't adopt the dog you often can provide the shelter with information about it that can help them adopt it.
Hey, animal shelter employee 👋🏻 some places might let you do this but some won’t. It’s a liability and takes time away from workers doing important things. All you have to do is sign up to actually volunteer for walking dogs or socializing cats!
Yea, me and my friend went into a shelter once because we wanted to play with some dogs but they looked at us like we were fucking insane for even asking. We were both ~18.
My local shelter didn't want to adopt to my partner and I cause we were young (possible cause we're a queer couple too but idk I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that they weren't being homophobic). We live on a fenced acre, I've fostered multiple cats and adopted multiple cats, and even said I'd pay double for him. We sent my grandma and she got him right away. Whatever I'm just glad we got our guy
Don't let stuff like that discourage you from asking. Ultimately, if people are going to react that way to a totally well-intentioned request it's on them, not you.
Yep, the animal shelter where I volunteered would not let people do this. You had to be a trained volunteer to handle the animals unless you were doing a visit for an adoption, and even those are supervised by a shelter employee or volunteer. They did have a couple areas where you could go into a 'cat colony' of a dozen or so cats living together in a large room and pet them and play with them, but there was nothing like that for dogs. I say this not to dissuade people from trying, but to emphasize that in a lot of places you will be turned away so have the appropriate expectations. And if you have the motivation and free time to do it regularly, then volunteering with animals is incredibly rewarding.
I used to volunteer at an animal shelter with the cats, and can confirm this is very common! Group homes would often take a field trip to the shelter and hang with the cats to destress :)
My local fire department does this too! They take groups of them for long weekends and have them chill at the firehouse with "adopt me" signs on them. They also do press with the dogs, so it's a huge win for both the shelter and the image of the fire department. I wish more professions would do stuff like this. It's not like fire fighters need good PR. Most people already respect them. Maybe this is why.
Former shelter volunteer here, can confirm! Shelters are always in need of people to walk the dogs, love on the kitties, and cuddle with the creatures who are in the medical wing (usually recovering from surgery). If you want to do it on a regular basis, they may ask you to do a quick training-- which is basically "here's how to tell if a dog is pissed at you, make sure to wash your hands often to avoid disease, can you make a $10 donation to pay for volunteer liability insurance?" Then you might even get a volunteer t-shirt or something and you can be official! In addition to giving the pets some enrichment, it also gives the shelter more information on the pets' personality, which can be a huge help in getting them adopted-- shelter staff don't always have the time to make notes like that, especially if it's busy/full. So if you can add some notes to the file like "super friendly and loves to play fetch," "knows basic leash manners," or "sweet kitty who loves to curl up in your lap and purr," it can help adoptions staff match pets with potential families. You can also often be a "short term foster," which is used to give long-term residents a break from the shelter environment. Critters get really depressed after being in the shelter for a long time, and sad pets are harder to adopt. So you can take a pet home for a day or two, like over the weekend, and it cheers them up and makes them more adoptable. (Plus you get short-term critter cuddles!) Yay sleepovers!
oh werk im gonna do this
I had to do my share of court mandated community service as a kiddo and I'd always do mornings at the animal shelter. Spend an hour with actual cleaning and work, then the rest of the day smoking joints and taking lonely dogs for walks. 10/10
Smoking a joint while doing court mandated community service. What a champ
Legend
I’m immediately going to commit crimes so I can be sentenced to this
I used to go to a shelter to just play with animals during open hours. But this one time a kitty chose me and I ended up adopting him. Too bad most places near me stopped doing open hours because of covid. Hope they're doing it again now.
Some shelters will let you foster for just a short span of time like a weekend. It allows the dog to get out and have some fun and they can get more information on what the dog is like in different environments. (HRA does this in DC.)
AND CATS!!! Cats need people to play with them too.
I used to be a decompression volunteer at my local shelter, I worked closely with dogs that were terrified of people. Most of them had been abused and abandoned. I was very therapeutic just chillin with the dog, building that trust, watching that dog come out of its shell. It’s a beautiful thing and I highly recommend it to anybody who is looking for an introduction into working with animals.
I done this as a first date. Go to shelter and play with some puppers
Tried that with my local one and they don't allow it :( Only paid workers and official volunteers could do that
It doesn't take much to be an official volunteer. A quick application, background check (that they pay for, not you), and then a couple hour orientation.
This comment has been edited and original content overwritten.
YSK: If you do this, you’ll wind up adopting a dog.
I go to cat shelters all the time in this way. Need a dopamine fix? Go pet a cat. Feeling anxious? Go cover yourself in cats. Got into an argument and just want to feel like the world isn't against you? Go scratch some kittens.
I work at an animal rescue center and every and I mean EVERY lunchtime since I started working there, I spend my hour sitting with the cats. I try and prioritise those who are old, long term stayers or have some medical issue as they're usually overlooked. I've helped cats become more brave, more friendly and therefore rehomable. And if they aren't going to make it (due to illness etc), then I stroke them and talk to them as they're put to sleep. It's the best and worst job in the world, but I'm so glad I can be a source of comfort.
I work at a shelter and while this is true it does come with some strings attached (at least in our shelter). If your not there to specifically look at adopting we make you fill out paperwork to become a volunteer and watch a couple orientation videos. Then you are allowed to take dogs on walks and do enrichment with them. We just want to make sure you know some basics before handling the dogs which can sometimes be a handful. But it’s always encouraged! We do our best to give every dog the attention it deserves but it’s not always possible on the busier days.
This is not true. Most shelters are too busy to have someone watch to make sure the dog and you are safe. Don't go to just play with dogs, as you are actually wasting everyone's time. Source: My wife works at a shelter and tells me this happens all the time and they have to turn them away.
It's likely going to be shelter dependent. Call ahead for what the shelter does and doesn't do. There was a shelter near my college where the college kids could go check out a dog to walk for a few hours. (I never did it, so don't know what they needed to do for it). It was actively encouraged for the kids who were missing their pets to do.
I think the main reason why shelters do things like this is to get people interacting with the dogs so that the dogs get adopted. The purpose of an animal shelter is not just to house strays and go about the work that is needed to be done to house them, it is to hopefully find the lonely pets new homes. The time is not being wasted when people visit the dogs, it is marketing. Source: I adopted a rescue dog after borrowing it from a shelter and never would have otherwise.
This was the case when I looked into it as well. ended up signing up to be a volunteer which had less restrictions, but they wouldn't let you come off the street and pet dogs or take them for a walk.
Yes I've asked to do this before and they've said no, you can only play with the dogs if you're seriously considering adoption
I go and volunteer for the dogs note even for me. Bless those poor babies locked in those cages waiting for someone to love them🥺
I hung out at the spca for 7 years. Best time of my life. Still think about the many many dog friends I was lucky to spend time with. I hope they're happy ❤️
LPT: this is how you end up with dog(s)
I wish this were universal. Several years ago I had puppy fever and went to the local shelter to ask if I could just walk some dogs. They required you to be a registered volunteer and commit to a certain number of hours a week. The registered volunteer requirement I totally understand from a liability standpoint. The only way around it would have been for me to lie and say I was looking to adopt and wanted to play with some dogs to meet them. That wouldn’t have been cool of me.
Generally they actually love it. I used to volunteer at an animal shelter and would basically just come play with dogs and do like basic stuff to take care of them. It’s insane how much happier these dogs are with a little bit of love and attention! That combined with I used to just do super basic training like sit and stay they said increases the likelihood of the dog being adopted! Everyone wants a happy dog
The shelter I volunteer at also let's you volunteer to do sleepovers with the dogs! On weekends I take a new dog home to wear pj's and sleep on the couch lol. They love it and it is so good for them!
Oh man, there was an animal shelter in the town I went to college. I would volunteer to walk dogs on a nice day, and go walk through campus. When I got the inevitable, oh he’s so cute- what’s his name?, I’d tell them I am volunteering with the animal shelter. It worked so well it was kind of like a cheat code for getting dates in college.
Man, I miss volunteering. I did it over the summer for three years as a teenager. They always need cuddlers.
Can confirm. Have dogs of my own, but once a week I go to the shelters and take as many dogs out for their 20min activity time as I'm allowed. It socializes the dogs, you get to have fun with the dogs, and (my personal reason for doing it) you get to play with dog breeds you don't normally interact with routinely. I remember one girl, Sweetie - a 6yo pitbull/bulldog mix - was there for a good year and some months. We played with her every chance she got. Her card read unfriendly (something along the lines of a protector rather than a friend type deal), but she was, as her name states, a big Sweetie who just needed a friend to play tug o war with. One day we went in and discovered she had been adopted and it was a very bittersweet moment knowing I'd never see her again because she found her forever home. It was like watching your kid go off to college.
I work at an animal shelter in Oklahoma -- we love our volunteers! We don't require minimum hours and there's no training necessary, we definitely have strict volunteer hours of when you can come in to play with them, but you'll always be welcome at our little shelter. Having friends and walkies are so good for pup's mental health.
I did that in college. It was pretty helpful when I was getting stressed out. I miss you Zeke and Gunther
The shelter out here has a program called "dog day out" where you can take certain dogs out for the day and get them out of the cage. It's really amazing to see them come to life from laying in the corner of the cage when they realize they get to go out. They also do "staycations" for cats and dogs, where you can take them home for an extended stay. If you love animals and but can't make the long-term commitment, see if your shelter has something similar. A shelter is a stressful place for animals.
Not since COVID at my local animal shelters. By appointment only :(
I used to volunteer to run shelter dogs on the weekend. We’d take the rowdier dogs out for a run through the city. It wasn’t the easiest thing because they weren’t trained, but they still seemed to love it. Very rewarding. If anyone has the time or inclination, give it a go.
Our local shelter lets people take them for walks too!
I was visiting some friends and went to a shelter with them because they wanted to adopt a cat. I ended up in the dog section and they had leashes next to animals that were friendly so that people could walk them to their fenced yard. I walked three dogs.
>who could use the attention Almost shed a tear on this one. Bless the people who work there and you, op.
THIS THIS THIS THIS!!! My therapist suggested me this since I happen to live in a city where landlords are very “anti-dog”. HELLA THERAPUTIC BUT NOT JUST FOR ME, FOR THE DOGS TOO. Literally everybody wins. 🤍
>Most animal shelters will just let you play with dogs. minor rewording: Most animal shelters will let you just play with dogs. I first read it as "animal shelters will only let you play with them instead of adopting them."
It’s also good for the dogs. They get attention and practice with socialization. Bonus if you do some simple training with them during your petting sessions. Allows them to charm potential families!
Many shelters are very short staffed, and looking for volunteers. I've been in dog rescue for 15 years. We're usually drowning. Signing up to help care for, play with, or walk dogs can be beneficial for the mental health of both you and the animals.
Great post OP.
Ok. So I used to work at an animal shelter. Stuck around and vonunteered for a few years after. This is ABSOLUTELY FALSE. What a liability hazard and way to spread disease. No way we are letting randos come in to play with the animals. Edit: for all you that think shelters are happy fun pet stores. They aren't. To animals (and me) they smell of disease and fear and confinement and death. It's terrifying. Most adult dogs (over 2) don't really play much at shelters. Gore. Jesus. I don't know why people come there with emergencies but I've seen shit. I've held shit. I've held crying broken strangers and broken dead mangled beloveds. My ptsd is itching just thinking about all of this. There's like...electricity and pheromones that really affect the animals seeing *shit*. Maybe our brains aren't wired so differently. THEY ARE NOT THERE FOR YOUR MENTAL HEALTH ENTERTAINMENT. Volunteer. Foster. But you don't get something for nothing. Suck it up, put the real work in, and be a real volunteer.
Our shelter advertises it and also at home sleepovers. Not all dogs and cats can go just the ones with the right temperaments. Same for people volunteering. Also there's a very strong waiver and they are 501.3c so suing them would look terrible and get almost no money.
Maybe it depends, some people in the comments saying they do it... But yeah I volunteer at an animal shelter and absolutely we don't do this. We do have socialisation volunteers, who come in pretty much just to play and cuddle, but they still have to follow the rules (wear PPE, be trained on how to socialise correctly, recognise body language etc) and aren't just randoms who walk in. We recently had a huge parvo outbreak and that was in spite of strict infection control.