It’s been a whole month since we launched Mass Street Mutts, and what a joyful month it’s been! Since we expanded this program and made it available to members of the community, our adoptable dogs have been soaking up the sunshine, making new friends, living their best lives outside the shelter walls, and most importantly – getting ADOPTED!
Whether it’s a walk or hike, a stroll downtown, hangin’ on a patio, enjoying a picnic in the park, takin’ em to the office for awhile, or snugglin’ up on your couch – this is a low-commitment and SUPER high-impact way to make a difference in the life of a shelter dog. And the community’s response has been incredible – we couldn’t be more grateful for everyone who has taken a dog out for an unforgettable day of fun!
In the month of June, we had 59 different humans take shelter pups out for 68 total Mass Street Mutts adventures! 45 different dogs got to experience a few hours outside the shelter walls with many of them going out multiple times. Out of all these, 17 dogs who went on an adventure have been adopted this month!
Lilo
In our first week of launching Mass Street Mutts (MSM) to the public, we sent Lilo out on a Saturday adventure. The MSM participant decided they would take Lilo to the Lawrence PRIDE block party as part of their doggy day out. Lilo made sure to stop by the Lawrence Humane booth and met lots of amazing people that day, but one little girl and her mom were particularly smitten with this sweet 7-year-old pittie that had been looking for a home for over 3 months!
After meeting Lilo, they decided to head right back to the shelter and sign the adoption papers!! It was already exciting enough to see many of our pups enjoying a day out of their kennel, but the fact that someone was adopting a dog after meeting them on their adventure totally had us crying happy tears!
As you can see, Lilo is very happy with her new bestie and loves her new home. We know, we know – cue the waterworks!!! 
Bruno
Kate and her kids decided to take a pup out for a Mass Street Mutts adventure and were lucky enough to hang out with good boy Bruno for the day!
They had so much fun with him that they were considering fostering Bruno or even adopting him, but decided they would sleep on it before making that decision. When they went to check out the website a few days later, they discovered that Bruno had been adopted.
Unfortunately (or fortunately?!), that home didn’t work out and Bruno was returned to the shelter a few days later. Once Kate and her family learned Bruno was back at the shelter, they didn’t hesitate to come right in and sign the adoption contract!
Here’s a little update about Bruno with his new loving family:
“Just wanted to give you an update about sweet Bruno. He has been adjusting so well with us. I think the CBD helps tremendously with his separation anxiety. Also having Kevin (our other dog) probably helps as well. He does excellent in his kennel when we are gone. He is also so good with the daycare kiddos. He is very calm around them. He had a toddler accidentally fall on him and he did not react at all. We are so in love and incredibly grateful to have added him to our family. We really do believe it was fate it didn’t work out with the previous owner. Thanks for all you guys do and hope you all have a great weekend!
Brian Hanni + Pico
Our friend, Brian Hanni, isn’t just the Voice of the Jayhawks – he’s a voice for shelter dogs too! 
Brian took Pico (who has since been adopted!) out on a Mass St Mutts adventure, and boy did they have a heck of an afternoon! After popping over to Lucky Dog Pet Grocery & Bakery for a cookie, Brian and Pico headed to KU where they checked out the new Kansas Football stadium, Allen Fieldhouse, and the Campanile…Rock Chalk! Then after a little rest at home and snuggle on the couch, they went back out to 23rd Street Brewery and visited more friends before heading back to the shelter.
Brian told us, “Pico was such a great boy all day long! So well behaved, gentle and sweet. We had a blast!”
Asher
3 words to describe adoptable Asher: Lovable, calm, easygoing
“We spent the day with Asher by walking around on Mass Street, had lunch at Mad Greek, visited Waxman Candles and Lucky Dog, where he got a special treat! We ended our day by hanging out at our office in North Lawrence, where he was able to decompress for a bit. He was great on the leash besides walking slow and stopping to sniff quite often. He does get a little antsy in the car but by the end of the day had figured out how to sit on the seat with his seatbelt. He was such a sweet dog and we loved getting to know him!”
Sarah
Ricky Ricardo
3 words to describe Ricky Ricardo: happy, energetic, and gassy 
“We took Ricky Ricardo to Clinton Lake for a nice, long walk. Ricky is the sweetest boy! When we picked him up from the shelter, he was so excited to hop right into our car. Off we go! While in the car was very enthusiastic – he couldn’t help himself from bouncing back and forth between the backseat windows to take in all the sights!
Once we arrived at the park, Ricky proved to be an excellent walker—he didn’t pull on the leash at all! One thing to note: he really likes to go to the bathroom. In just one hour, he peed nine times and pooped twice! At one point, he even mistook my fiancé’s leg for a tree and accidentally peed on his leg and in his shoe—oops! 
We took Ricky down by the water, but he wasn’t a big fan. He was curious and wanted to get close, but every time a wave approached his paws, he’d run off in the opposite direction. After our walk, we treated him to a Pup Cup at Starbucks! He loved getting his treat but wasn’t too thrilled about sitting still outside – he was ready to keep moving!
Overall, we had a fantastic day with Ricky. He’s great with commands and manners, and he’s full of love and kisses. We think he’d thrive in a high-energy home with a family that enjoy taking him for walks and letting him be part of their outdoor adventures!”
Fudo
He was a very sweet boy all day. He did super well in the car! When we went on walks, he would be so excited at first but quickly got tired and would stop pulling. I think his favorite part of the day was cuddling on the couch. When I sat down, he would jump up and collapse on top of me in the cutest way! Fudo is energetic, cuddly, curious – all the best things about a dog!
Shaka Khan
Area Director of Kansas Big Brothers Big Sisters serving Douglas County, Jeff Jack, and his Little Brother, Stellan, participated in our Mass St Mutts program and took adoptable Shaka Khan for an outing together! What a great way to spend the day with your Little!
While strolling Mass St, they popped into Lucky Dog Pet Grocery & Bakery for a treat for Shaka and Great Blue Heron Outdoors for a treat for Jeff and Stellan! They discovered that 6-year old Shaka is an excellent car rider, A+ leash walker, and is wonderful with kiddos. Sounds like the perfect family dog if you ask us!
Although we have had some version of Mass Street Mutts for awhile, the program was ready for a revival! In March 2024, we had the exciting opportunity to send two of our staff members to Phoenix, AZ to learn all about public dog day out programs – all thanks to VCA Charities! VCA supports animal shelters across the nation by helping pets find and remain in loving homes through grants and program support. One of the ways they have done this is by inviting animal rescue organizations to a week-long training to learn about the benefits of dogs day out programs + encourage them every step of the way to take what they’ve learned back to their organization and implement a dogs day out program of their own.
“Recent research shows dogs who experience a single day outside of the shelter are 10 times more likely to be adopted, and the volunteers who take dogs on field trips become advocates for the animal and programs that enable enrichment through public support. Since launching the Dogs Day Out (DDO) program, VCA Charities has partnered and supported over 20 of the largest U.S. based shelters with a combined intake of more than 325,000 pets annually.”
Not only did they provide the financial support to educate our staff, they have also provided all the necessary supplies to help us get Mass Street Mutts off the ground in the best way possible! Our backpacks, harnesses, adopt me vests, water bottles, and more have been provided through VCA Charities.
We are so incredibly thankful to all the folks at VCA Charities for continuing their investment and commitment to animal shelters and dogs day out programs across the nation! We are beyond proud of our Mass Street Mutts program and couldn’t have done it without the help of VCA.
Are you ready to make some tails wag?
Sign up for a Mass Street Mutts adventure today and start making unforgettable memories with shelter dogs right here in Lawrence!
