Doggy Day Trips & Slumber Pups

Our Doggy Day Trips program, which launched May 4, 2019, has allowed approved short term fosters to “check out” a dog from the shelter for an hour or an afternoon. Our new Slumber Pups program, launched February 22, 2020, allows short term fosters to take a shelter dog for two nights.

In the Doggy Day Trips program, dogs would love to go on a hike, spend the night on your couch, walk around town or go to the beach. Just a short time out of the shelter gives our dogs a nice break, helps them to socialize, introduces them to new activities, places and people and helps us determine their personalities.

In the Slumber Pups program, we are asking members of the community to take dogs on sleepovers as part of a groundbreaking study of foster care that will help save the lives of homeless dogs across the country. The goal of this 100-shelter nationwide study, carried out by Arizona State University and funded by Maddie’s Fund, a national family foundation established by Dave and Cheryl Duffield to revolutionize the status and well-being of companion animals, is to learn more about how fostering programs affect dogs as well as shelter staff and volunteers. We need you to participate–and all you’ll need to do is hang out with a dog!

Participants in both programs will be required to attend the Doggy Day Trips/Slumber Pups orientation, fill out our Doggy Day Trips/Slumber Pups application, sign a waiver at the time of check-out, and fill out an activities summary upon return.

We will provide the following tools in a HSWA branded bag for each trip: leash, harness, collar, proof of rabies vaccination, waste bags, water bowl, bottle(s) of water, dog food, food bowl, treats, crate (if needed), towels (if needed), and business cards to hand out to potential adopters. We’ve got it all covered…you just provide the fun!

We’re looking forward to seeing photos & videos and reading stories of the trips our doggies will go on. Keep an eye on Facebook and Instagram #HSWAdoggydaytrips #HSWAslumberpups

Resources

Doggy Day Trips Volunteer Manual
Doggy Day Trips Agreement & Waiver
Doggy Day Trips Post-Trip Questionnaire