Animal shelter offers new ‘Rent-A-Dog' program to give dogs time outdoors

Love dogs, but just don’t have the time or right situation to adopt? Wish you could just rent a dog for a few hours of fun? Well, now you can. 

The Camden County Animal Shelter in New Jersey is experimenting with a new program where volunteers come each day to take certain dogs outdoors for a few hours.

It gives dogs like Brownie, who has been abused and abandoned twice, a chance to be more than just a sad story. He gets to show off his sweet demeanor and winning personality, which makes him more likely to be adopted. Of course, he also gets a chance to get out from his cage at the shelter and enjoy the outdoors.

The volunteers get to spend times with the dogs, when they might not be able to permanently adopt. The dogs also get introduced to other people outside the shelter who might be considering adoption, too.

“In 2017, we ended at 90-percent live release, which is the national average to be a no-kill facility,” shelter director Michael Bricker told Fox 29 Philadelphia. “But that’s not where we want to end, we want to save as many lives as possible. So in order to do that we have to come up with new innovative ideas and programs.”

The shelter says they hope the program will help people connect with the dogs and help them save as many canine lives as possible. It’s a great way to spend an awesome day with some good dogs.