It’s no secret that shelter life can be stressful for dogs. Often, they go from being in a home to a strange, noisy environment. In worse cases, they’ve been rescued from abusive situations and are still learning how to cope with the trauma.
That’s why many loving shelter employees and volunteers go above and beyond to bring sunshine into these dogs’ lives as they wait to find their forever homes. What’s more, when the dogs are happy and relaxed (often, thanks to the folks at the shelter), they’re much more likely to be adopted!
Volunteer Molly Clark of the Kitsap Humane Society (KHS) in Washington is one of those animal lovers who will do anything to brighten the shelter dogs’ days. Knowing that some dogs enjoy car rides, a change of scenery, and a creamy sweet treat, she takes a different pooch every Tuesday on an outing to Starbucks where they get their very own Puppuccino! (For those who don’t know, it’s a small cup of whipped cream–no caffeine for these canines!) This is known as the Puppuccino Pals program.
However, the people of KHS know that some of the dogs may not enjoy the trip, so Molly gets their Puppuccinos to go.
Said KHS’ Rebekah Johnson in a story by Bored Panda:
“They love it! Molly only selects dogs who will not be stressed by the experience. However, Molly will bring Puppuccinos back to the shelter to dogs who are unable to leave the shelter. There is no “one size fits all” shelter experience and KHS’ staff and volunteers go to great lengths to ensure that each animal here at KHS receives individualized care and attention.
Of course, the local Starbucks is completely on board with helping out on these doggy dates, providing puppy lattes and posting pictures of the “Dog of the Week” so that these special pups can find homes!
The latte-licking pups use their outings at photo-ops, getting their pictures posted on Instagram (@kitsaphumanesociety) as they slurp up their “specialty drinks”!
Take a look:
Dogs and Starbucks? These pups are after my own heart!
We love the “outside the box” thinking of the Puppuccino Pals program to promote pet adoption and send happy vibes to these shelter dogs!
Do you think a Puppuccino Pals program would help adoption rates at your local shelter?
