COLUMBUS – Officials at the Franklin County Dog Shelter hope two new programs will spur pet adoptions.
The Holiday Sleepover allows people to take a dog home to their family for three days over Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s, when the shelter is closed and the dogs would not have gotten to see many people, said Kaye Dickson, Director of the Franklin County Dog Shelter.
The extra socialization is good for the animals’ mental health and families can experience what it might be like to be a dog owner with no long-term commitment, Dickson said. The participating families will also be asked to take pictures of the dog and write about their experience, which Dickson says will be used to help find a permanent home for the dog.
A new family volunteer program, tailored to small family-sized groups, provide opportunities to help out at the shelter. Dickson says hundreds of people already volunteer at the shelter on a regular basis but their tasks aren’t always appropriate for groups, children, or the elderly.
The new family volunteer initiative will allow families to get involved while providing additional socialization, which helps avoid behavior problems that can make it difficult to find a willing permanent adopter for the dog.
Anyone interested in either the Holiday Sleepover or family volunteering programs should email holidaysleepover@franklincountyohio.gov for more information.