Stockton Shelter Experimenting With Moving Dogs To Neighborhoods For Adoption
STOCKTON (CBS13) — Stockton is launching a new program that allows foster families to adopt dogs from their neighborhood homes.
The plan is an attempt to give dogs more visibility by moving them from shelters.
Shelter workers say they have a lot of dogs that will make great pets, but the problem is you won't know that unless you come to the shelter. A new animal ambassador program hopes to change that.
Robin Terry is helping her son find a dog. She's familiar with who is here because she visits often.
"I just love the dogs. I love dogs period. So I come here once a week. I pray for them, really," she said.
Several of the dogs have been there for a long time. Now, with a $2,500 ASPCA grant, the shelter is starting an animal ambassador program.
Lucy will join the program and live with a foster family who will introduce her around the neighborhood. Her ambassador will have the power to arrange her adoption.
"The animal will go out already spayed, neutered, microchipped, licensed," said Phillip Zimmerman. "And the ambassador can process the animal out in the field and the animal doesn't have to come back to the shelter."
Animal services will help the ambassador market the dog and it hopes ambassadors will also create Facebook pages for their animals.
"The ambassador can say this dog is really good with children, this dog really good with other animals, this dog has separation anxiety, or this dog is perfect," he said.
How long a dog spends in the ambassador program will be left up to the ambassador fostering the dog.
The program is starting small with just a few volunteers to see how well it works.
