OJAI — Not everyone can take a shelter dog home, but almost anyone can give one a few hours away from the kennel. The Humane Society of Ventura County (HSVC) is officially rolling out its Dog Day Out program to the public. Community members can take a dog out for a hike, a ride or a quiet afternoon at home, with no foster or adoption commitment.
HSVC is giving more dogs homes, and faster. Through August, dog adoptions are up 42% over the same period last year (223 compared with 157), and half of adopted dogs now go home within 14 days, compared with 24 days last year. HSVC hopes Dog Day Out — a program used by shelters nationwide and linked in research to higher adoption rates — will keep this momentum going and help its longest-staying dogs find homes.