Give a shelter dog the adventure they deserve while bringing joy to your day!
Whether you’re up for a walk or hike, a stroll downtown, hanging out on a patio, enjoying a picnic in the park, bringing a pup to the office, or just snuggling on the couch — Mass Street Mutts is a fun, flexible, and super high-impact way to brighten a shelter dog’s day.
What are you waiting for?! Ready to make a difference?!
How does it work?
Getting started is easy!
Follow these simple steps to begin your Mass Street Mutts journey.
Schedule
Choose from available time slots through our easy online booking system and answer a few questions. We offer pick up times on Tuesday-Saturday mornings. You are welcome and encouraged to spend the day with your shelter dog!
Show up
We choose the dog based on which dogs needs a break from the shelter the most (and what would be a good fit for you!) Please arrive on time to the shelter for your MSM appointment! We will provide all the supplies you need.
Have fun!
Whether you take them for a hike, walk them downtown, hang out on a dog-friendly patio, or even relax at home on the couch with some snuggles – our dogs are much happier our of their kennels and spending time with YOU!
Why sign up for Mass Street Mutts?
Mass Street Mutts is a win-win experience that benefits both shelter dogs and our amazing participants!
Make a difference
Give shelter dogs a chance to get out of their kennel and show off their amazing personality! Exercise, socialization, and lots of love make a world of a difference to our shelter pets.
Boost your mood
Love dogs but can’t own one yourself? Experience a few hours of the joys of dog ownership! You’ll leave your adventure feeling happy and so will your shelter dog!
Stay active
Get some of those steps in while showing off a shelter dog who’s looking for a loving home! Any chance a dog can get out of its kennel and burn off some energy is incredible!
What MSM Adventurers Say
Hear from our amazing community members about their experiences with Mass Street Mutts!
The great thing about Mass Street Mutts is that there are so many fun ways to spend time together! Here are some ideas our dogs love:
🌿 Nature & Hiking Trails
- Prairie Park Nature Center – 2730 Harper Street
- Clinton Lake – 798 N 1450 Road
- Baker Wetlands – 1365 N 1250 Road
- Lawrence River Trails – 1594 N 3rd Street
- Rock Chalk Park Trails – 100 Rock Chalk Park Lane
- Lawrence Nature Park – South Folks Road
- Lawrence Rotary Arboretum – 5100 W. 27th Street
- McGrew Nature Preserve Trail – 4600 Bob Billings Parkway
- Burroughs Creek Park – 900 E. 15th Street
- South Park – 1141 Massachusetts Street
🐾 Dog-Friendly Restaurants & Shops
- BonBon – 804 Pennsylvania Street
- Lawrence Beer Company – 826 Pennsylvania Street
- Lawrence Beer Company West – 4811 Bob Billings Pkwy
- The Bourgeois Pig – 6 E. 9th Street
- Cottins Hardware & Rental – 1832 Massachusetts Street
- Lucky Dog Pet Grocery & Bakery – 933 Massachusetts Street
- Cork & Barrel
- 1801 W 23rd Street
- 901 Mississippi Street
🏡 Home Time
If your home or rental allows pets, don’t underestimate the joy of a simple day of rest! Many of our outing dogs love decompressing in a calm, home-like environment just as much (sometimes even more!) than an adventure-filled day.
You can view all of our favorite adventure spots here:
Mass Street Mutts Adventure Spots Map
For the safety and health of our shelter pets, it is best to keep your distance from other animals in public. No dog parks, please!
We typically recommend taking them out for at least a few hours.
Yes! We love to accommodate larger groups for Mass Street Mutts outings. Depending on the size of your group, you can divide into smaller groups and take a few different dogs out for a day. We also love when dogs get to be “office pets” for the day! For more information on group Mass Street Mutts outings, please email msm@lawrencehumane.org
We would love for you to foster temporarily or even adopt your Mass Street Mutts pup! The whole goal of this program is to help shelter pets find a loving home. At the end of your adventure, just let our staff know you’re interested in spending more time with your shelter pup!
Nope! We encourage you to take animals to places around town, to your home to snuggle, or to your office!
For the safety and health of our shelter pets, it’s best to keep distance from other animals. We understand it cannot be avoided sometimes so be aware of your surroundings and avoid as best you can! We do not recommend shelter dogs meeting resident animals in your home while on their adventure. If you are interested in fostering your shelter dog, please let us know and we can tell you how to properly introduce them to other pets in your home!
