IACS Announces Doggy Day Out Program
INDIANAPOLIS – Indianapolis Animal Care Services (IACS) has officially opened its popular Doggy Day Out (DDO) program to the public, offering community members a chance to give a shelter dog a few hours of fun and fresh air.
The program allows participants to check out an adoptable dog from the kennel for a temporary “field trip.” These day outs can include a walk in the park, a cruise around town, or just a few hours of snuggling and relaxing outside the shelter environment.
IACS Director, Amanda DeHoney-Hinkle, called the initiative a “truly a win-win.”
“Our dogs get the love, exercise, and enrichment they need, and participants get the joy of spending time with a dog and helping out the shelter without the long-term commitment of adoption,” DeHoney-Hinkle said.
IACS Public Information Officer Colleen LaFollette explained that the program is vital because the shelter is “over capacity fairly consistently,” especially for large dogs. She added that getting the animals out is a matter of safety and well-being.
“Getting these dogs out, having them come back, you know, they’re enriched, they feel better, they can sleep better, they present better to people,” LaFollette stated. She noted that dogs “present better to people outside of the shelter than they do inside.”
The Doggy Day Out program is crucial for improving the dogs’ welfare. Getting dogs out of the stressful shelter environment helps them expend energy, practice social skills, and showcase their true personalities, making them more adoptable. In fact, many dogs have already found their permanent homes thanks to connections made during a DDO.
LaFollette confirmed the positive results, saying the dogs are often simply “tired” when they return. “They get a lot of their energy out on these adventures… they get a lot of smells, they’re seeing new places, they’re meeting people. By the time that they are back to our shelter, they’re most likely just going to be down for the night,” she said.
The shelter is currently managing a huge initial response from the public, with LaFollette noting they received about “100 applicants” in the first day alone—a “good problem to have.”
How to Participate
Community members interested in giving a dog a day out must meet a few requirements:
Participants must be 18 years old with a valid ID.
They must have a working vehicle with state-required minimum amounts of insurance.
Interested individuals can sign up online to make an appointment.
Adoption Opportunity This Weekend
IACS invites the community to learn more about adoptable dogs at the Love Them for Life Adoption Event hosted by Pet Friendly Services this Saturday, October 4th, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Tom Wood Subaru (3300 E 96th St, Indianapolis). IACS will have dogs on site, making it a perfect opportunity to meet a potential new family members.
Find more details HERE and listen to the full interview HERE.
