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Adoptable Chesapeake dogs go on day trips through ‘Snout and About’ program

Posted at 3:16 PM, May 24, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-24 17:18:13-04

CHESAPEAKE, Va. - A new program at the Chesapeake Animal Shelter is helping adoptable dogs find their forever homes.

The "Snout and About" program launched in April, allowing dogs on the adoption floor to go out with people for a few hours a day.

"At the end of the day, the shelter is a really stressful environment, so this is a break from that," explained Amber Morris, who helped launch the program at the shelter. "They go out for at least two hours, and when they come back they are exhausted, which is really nice."

Anyone interested in taking an adoptable dog out for a few hours just has to fill out some paperwork at the shelter. Then they are given a leash, collar and bag with all of the essentials needed for a few hours with a dog. They are also given a list of dog-friendly places they can go in the area.

"They get a new experience new smells, new toys, new people, and it also gives them a chance to learn how to interact with new things, too," said Morris.

Since the program launched, five shelter dogs have found their forever families with their "Snout and About" chaperone. But even if a dog doesn't find their forever home, there are still benefits to their outing.

Related: Shelter dogs get a home for the Thanksgiving holiday

Every time a chaperone returns, they fill out a form describing how the dog did during their outing. This information is then passed onto future adopters.

"Adopters like to know every detail, so we try our best, but the "Snout and About" program has really helped us get those details together."

Chesapeake is the first city to offer this program locally. To learn how you can get involved in the Snout and About program, visit Chesapeake Animal Service's website.