Doggy Day Out (DDO) is a short-term foster program with Humane Animal Partners where community members take an adoptable shelter dog for an offsite adventure! These field trips include hikes, walks, and other fun outings to help pups manage kennel stress, burn off energy, and get exposure to potential adopters. You must be at least 18 to take a dog off-site!
locations & hours
Wilmington & Stanton/Christiana: Doggy Day Out is available 7 days a week! Pickup is 9:30 am – 10:00 am. Dogs must be returned no later than 1:00 pm on Tuesdays – Sundays so they can be seen by adopters at the shelter! On Mondays, dogs must be returned no later than 4:00 pm.
Please note that Doggy Day Out program for our Rehoboth Beach location is structured differently. Participants are required to be fully onboarded shelter volunteers before taking dogs on outings. If you wish to be a Doggy Day Out volunteer in Rehoboth Beach, please complete a volunteer application. If you are an existing Rehoboth volunteer, please contact Kim or Leigh to get started.
Doggy Night Out is offered as-needed on a case-by-case basis for existing Doggy Day Out volunteers! As needs arise, such as during severe weather or holiday weekends, our team will reach out to our DDO volunteers for short-term sleepovers, typically 1-2 days. If you are interested in having a pup for a longer stay, visit our foster page here.
Participating in our Doggy Day Out program requires minimal training. Please allow up to a week for a response.
