Dog Day Out
Give a shelter dog a joyful escape for the day—and help them find their forever home faster.
Treat a shelter dog to a day of fun and freedom!
The Dog Day Out (DDO) program offers a unique opportunity for community members to take shelter dogs on enriching day trips—no prior volunteering required! Participants simply sign up through Give Pulse, pick a shift, and enjoy an adventure with a dog, whether exploring pet-friendly spots or even bringing them home for a short stay.
- We supply everything needed—making it easy for anyone to take a dog out.
- Reduces stress & provides enrichment—improving dogs' mental well-being.
- Increases community exposure—boosting adoption chances.
- Helps dogs find homes faster—shortening their shelter stay.
It's easy to get started!
Come pick up your new friend
Report back
FAQs
Some basic information to get you started!
Shelter dogs are the only animals that can participate in field trips.
The main goal of this program is to improve the well-being of the dogs in our care by offering enrichment that is more than a food item. While we offer the dogs many types of enrichment on campus, it is important to get them out of the shelter environment as quickly as possible. Having community members take the dogs out for more people to see helps the dog get adopted quicker.
You can take your shelter dog hiking, shopping, out to a brewery, the Biltmore house, local restaurants, the NC Arboretum, to your home, and so many more activities. There are many options; you can do multiple things in one trip or just one. We just ask that you stay within an hour of the shelter and don’t have your shelter dog meet any other animals on your trip.
- Advocate for them while out on your trip: tell people you’re doing a field trip through Asheville Humane Society and that this dog is up for adoption!
- Post to your personal social media.
- Tag us in your posts about the dog.
- Make videos while out with your shelter dog.
Yes! If you are interested in a sleepover, you just need to chat with a member of the adoptions team.
Wonderful! First, write the dog’s name on the adoption coupon provided in the field tripper backpack and give it to the potential adopter. Then instruct the potential adopter to call or come into the Adoption Center to make it official.