The Arizona Humane Society has launched a Dog Field Trip Program, offering volunteers the unique opportunity to spend a day with shelter dogs in the hope of finding them forever homes. ABC15 reported that the initiative allows these canines to enjoy activities such as hikes and socializing at dog-friendly businesses, potentially catching the eye of potential adopters.
According to the latest from Phoenix New Times, this program also serves to provide necessary breaks from kennel life. "A program like a doggy field trip is so amazing and important because it gives them some time outside of a kennel," explained Joe Casados, public relations, and social media manager at the Arizona Humane Society. "It also just gets them outside in the community that someone who might be thinking of getting a dog but maybe hasn't come into the Humane Society has now been introduced to this cute dog on a walk and that’s going to get them interested maybe in that dog particularly or just to come in and check out the Arizona Humane Society and see what other dogs we have available."
The program, which began as a test run in January, is now fully operational. Volunteers above the age of 21 can sign up online, and upon arriving at the shelter, they receive a backpack containing everything needed for the dog's outing, including an "Adopt Me" vest for the dog. These field trips have already resulted in numerous adoptions, just days after the dogs' adventures, Casados mentions, although exact numbers are not yet available for the new initiative.
Lisa Gunter, assistant professor of animal behavior and welfare at Virginia Tech, finds merit in these short-term fostering experiences. "Though dogs don’t get the type of rest and recharge from these short outings compared to the longer ones, they become five times more likely to be adopted following field trips," she told Phoenix New Times. "People can envision their life with these dogs (when seen on a field trip) versus in the animal shelter sometimes because the animal shelter is a stressful place, and that’s sometimes hard for dogs to show their best selves in that situation," Gunter added.
Amid the nationwide spike in surrendered pets post-COVID, the Arizona Humane Society has witnessed its busiest year in a decade, with an unprecedented intake of roughly 22,000 pets in 2023—half of them being dogs. Programs such as the Dog Field Trip are not just a fun diversion, but a strategic push to help canines display their personalities outside the confines of a shelter, hopefully leading to quicker, happier adoptions. "A dog that might be very shy and timid and maybe uninterested while it’s in its kennel, the second it’s out on a leash, a walk or car ride, you have the most bubbly, happy, friendly and ready-to-play dog, so I think people get to see the pet’s full personality when they’re out on these field trips, and that’s a lot easier to gauge whether or not that pet is going to fit your lifestyle and your family versus walking up and down a row of kennels," Casados conveyed to Phoenix New Times.
