To read my first blog about this incredible no-kill animal sanctuary and our two weeks of volunteering there, click here.
The Concept
While being familiar with Best Friends and its animal sanctuary in Utah, Mark and I had no knowledge of their “sleepover” animals. The first time I heard about a sleepover dog was at Donna’s blog Retirement Reflections, as she reported on taking one to their pet-friendly accommodation in Kanab for the night, after volunteering at the sanctuary.
Swift portrait
Certain cats, rabbits, and dogs at Best Friends are available for a sleepover. They have been assessed as such by a professional team and usually tried out by staff members. The only requirement to “borrow” a pet is that you’ve completed at least one volunteer shift in that particular department. In regards to dogs, they also request you don’t go out to dinner that night (but cook at your accommodation or do take-out/delivery), so the animal isn’t left alone. Other rules are to not let your sleepover dog interact with other dogs, don’t take him/her to restaurants, and don’t feed him/her human food.
Ehu is a happy boy!
You pick the animal up around 3:30pm and return it by 8am the next morning. Everything else is taken care of. It’s a great way to offer the sanctuary pets an exciting experience, out of their normal routines, provide them with extra love and walks, and allow them to get used to different people, which makes them more adjustable and adoptable.
Our Sleepover Dogs
Jarvis
“Will you be taking a sleepover dog home today?” Deb asks. We just signed up for our very first volunteer shift at Dogtown HQ. It’s one o’clock on a Friday afternoon. Mark and I talked about this beforehand. Whenever the weather is to be sunny, we’d spoil a sleepover dog with love, attention, company, and walks. That would be a lot of dogs in 14 days.
“Sure,” I say, not quite knowing what we’re getting into. We watch a short instructional video about volunteering in Dogtown and are handed an orange “sleepover bag” full of goodies: dog treats, toys, a bowl for water, rags, cleaning product, emergency phone numbers, an evaluation sheet, and two fleece blankets. If the dog remains with you for a longer period of time for some reason, his/her dinner & breakfast, plus an extra bowl are provided as well.
Jarvis and his sleepover bag
It’s our first shift with the dogs and I already feel like I’m cheating, as we’re supposed to stop at 3:30pm instead of 4pm to pick up “our” dog. “Look at it this way,” Deb says, “you’re giving one dog way more than a half an hour of your time and energy.” She’s right.
“Are you taking a sleepover dog home?” one of the caregivers at the Garden Building asks as we introduce ourselves. “Yes,” we answer, so she knows she has us until 3:30pm. She continues by naming the dogs in the two octagons that are available for sleepovers. Some of them have to remain on the property, others can only go with families without children. When she hears we live in a camper van, she hesitates. “I didn’t think we were allowed to send dogs away with RVers,” she mumbles. My heart sinks. We made our living situation clear with the volunteer coordinator earlier. Full transparency. When Deb swings by to check on us, she explains the deal to the staff member: since we are camping on BLM land instead of a crowded RV park, we are allowed to take sleepover dogs. Phew!
During our shift, we socialize with a few of the dogs and decide on Jarvis, an easy-going chocolate lab mix with a green collar. He’s quite big but we think he’ll just fit on our bench seat. He’s great in the car and patient as we stake out an empty area in nature and get settled. For the rest of the afternoon and evening, he bathes in attention and goes for walks. He sleeps through the night and turns out to be a good boy, other than pulling on his leash and taking a short-cut between the bench and the front seat, over the table.
Ehu
After a week of rain, snow, and hail, the weather finally clears up for a few days. Mark and I are ready for a second sleepover dog. Ever since walking Swift, I’ve had my eyes set on her. Nope, Swift is already going on an outing that afternoon and is not available. How about Cali? She is sweet and the right size. Plus, one of our dogs used to be called Kali. Nope, Cali hasn’t been assessed yet as a sleepover dog. Tiponi is too big. We had other favorites, but don’t seem to remember who during our separate afternoon shift. We are helping out at the Lodges, where most dogs are red collars (staff-only).
“How about Ehu?” one of the caregivers asks me. I remember Mark telling me about this cute, yet scruffy-looking terrier kind of dog when he helped out at Deja’s Lodges. He showed me Ehu’s face on the adoption page online. How can a bristly dog look cute? I thought. I was about to find out.
We take Ehu (purple collar) home for the evening and night. He’s labeled an “outdoor dog” – perfect for us, hiking and spending time in the wilderness on this first sunny day. He is great on leash, sniffing his surroundings, and chasing lizards. His head is soft; his demeanor happy and responsive. He chews on sticks and only seems to have one flaw: he is a very picky eater. He wasn’t interested in any treats from the sleepover bag. As a matter of fact, when I volunteered at Deja’s again later and he was the “kitchen dog”, he wouldn’t budge from his horizontal position as pieces of broken treats fell on the floor. Imagine any other dog in that room as I broke treats in half to make them more manageable for the caregivers…
Ehu is sponsored by the company Ruff Wear. This means that his adoption fee is waived and he comes with extra swag from Ruff Wear. One particularity of Ehu cracked us up… At some point, he took the treat I gave him, scouted the area, carefully dug a hole with his two front paws, gently dropped the treat in it, and deliberately covered the hole with his nose. Isn’t this adorable? (Don’t mind the noise; my camera has troubles too expensive to fix.)
Swift
Still, there was that thing I had for Swift, so she became our third sleepover dog, purple collared as well. She gets jumpy. We picked her up and spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the sanctuary grounds, as we did not have time for that our first week. We walked to Angels Overlook, strolled Angels Rest cemetery – she was a bit intimidated with the life-size dog statues – and attempted a hike to Hidden Lake. Heading the wrong way, up a hill, at first, turned this 1.5-mile adventure into a 4-mile one! But we found the lake. It was, indeed, well-hidden.
The three of us had a splendid time and got settled on BLM land just before more rain arrived. Swift was happy, waggy, and well-behaved. In fact, we liked her company so much that we asked to see her file (LCP – life-long care plan) the following day. Unfortunately, she has a history of aggression towards some dogs (and possibly children), is an escape artist that can jump 8ft fences, and couldn’t possibly become an off-leash dog, which is important to us.
Martha
One day, caregiver Jeff from Building 3&4 introduced me to Martha, his favorite dog at the sanctuary. We walked her together as she stalled (refused to keep going) with volunteers. She also gets mouthy sometimes, hence her purple collar. She was soft, pretty, and seemed sweet. The following day, Mark did a shift in that area of Dogtown. Towards the end of the morning, he and Jeff took Martha to the agility shed and I was granted earlier leave to join them. The three of us took turns leading the dog around the course, rewarding her with treats, which she eagerly received. Smart girl!
Sure, we’d take her on a sleepover. Except, she wasn’t assessed for that yet, as a skittish and anxious dog. By filling out an unbinding adoption application, we could get around that. The caregivers loved to hear how she’d do. Taking her away from her usual environment and keeping tabs on her behavior on the evaluation form would help everyone out. Mark and I looked at her LCP and decided to give it a whirl.
Good morning, Martha!
We loaded Martha up in our van. She was mostly OK in the car, yet a tad stressed. At our first stop, she was extremely anxious. Then, we took her for a walk in Water Canyon on the Best Friends property. She barely wanted to go, and stalled often, tail between her legs. We took it slow. Sat by the stream. And eventually led her into the water, where she blossomed. Tail up, smile on her face.
Later on, we took her to town, sat in the grass, walked on the sidewalks, and stopped at the Best Friends Visitor Center. She didn’t like any of it. Disheartening and sad. We resorted to visiting Jeff at home (which he’d invited us to) with Martha to make her happy. It worked! After an excited reunion, she joined us again and showed more trust and recognition. We had a pleasant evening and night before we returned her to Dogtown the following morning.
Conclusion
Sleepover dogs (pets) are a fantastic concept in our opinion. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved. The dogs get to enjoy new people and experiences, the volunteers spend time with furry friends, and the caregivers collect valuable information about the pets’ behavior and quirks. This helps their care and training, and therefore makes them more adoptable. Many hotels in Kanab are pet-friendly. If we ever adopt a dog somewhere…
Please, feel free to ask me any questions about Best Friends and sleepover dogs in the comments!
June 16, 2019 at 14:29
Honestly, I don’t think I could have had the strength to return Ehu. I have a thing for terriers and the minute I saw his face, I was hooked. Lucky for me, he is in another country so I am safe. What a wonderful place you have found with Best Friends. I remember when Donna visited there. How lucky are those pups to have gotten to overnight in Zesty. Interested to hear your next installment 😉
June 16, 2019 at 21:45
Ehu is a special dog. You know, his sponsors might even cover airfare to Grenada! 🙂 You know, Hugh Roberts (of Hugh’s Views and News) saw a photo of Ehu in my previous post (which featured at least 30 different dogs) and was enamored by him as well!
If the weather would have been better, we could have taken at least twice as many home for some fun, cuddles, and walks. Oh well. We will have to go back.
June 16, 2019 at 15:32
You and Mark have become foster parents for specially chosen dogs. What a fantastic concept!
Because I like easy-going dogs, I’d probably pick Jarvis, the black Lab with the green collar.
I enjoyed Ehu’s treat-burying antics. And about your last sleep-over: You deserve the “best parents” award for persevering with skittish and anxious Martha.
My guess is that Zesty had to shed some dog hairs after these adventures. Right?
June 16, 2019 at 21:51
Who would have thought we could ever “foster” in a camper van, right? 🙂 That’s why it was so important that the weather cooperated. Muddy paws (of the red color kind) on top of muddy feet in a 19’ space didn’t sound appealing.
Swift (the white dog) was actually the only one who shedded a bit. Surprisingly, dogs seem to shed more dirt than hair. At least these ones did. 🙂
Martha is a special dog… requiring special people…
June 16, 2019 at 16:23
I was pretty sure when I began reading this post that you’d end up saying you had adopted a dog. 🙂 It must have been fun to “check out” a doggy pal for the night… and so good for them too. Best Friends is an amazing organization!
June 16, 2019 at 21:54
We truly enjoyed the experience of sleepover dogs. They all have their unique personalities and quirks. A bit like pet sitting, really, but in our own home. And, they all received non-stop attention. 🙂
Hold on to that intuition just a little bit longer, Janis, and stay tuned. 🙂
June 16, 2019 at 18:26
The police department, where I work, has started a similar program. I think it’s a great idea.
June 16, 2019 at 21:55
That’s fantastic to read, Jill! Will you take a sleepover animal home one day? 🙂
June 17, 2019 at 00:56
I can see your pure joy in this, Liesbet. We do have a rescue centre not too far away but we’ve never been. It must be hard sometimes to give the dogs back. I know… practicalities 🙂 🙂 Have a great week!
June 17, 2019 at 08:34
When you’re in the right mindset, it’s OK to give the dogs back. Especially knowing that they are well-cared for and that you improved their lives and joy, if only for 16 hours or so. 🙂
Have a wonderful week as well, Jo!
June 17, 2019 at 01:37
What a great idea. It is like housesitting – except the dogs in a housesit are already well cared for and have people who love them. I think it would be so hard not to ‘keep’ one!
June 17, 2019 at 10:40
Yes! That’s what I’ve come to compare it to a little bit as well: pet sitting, but then in our own home (on wheels), and a bit more intensive than house sitting, since we wanted to give the dogs an as good a time as possible. 🙂 It was hard not to keep one.
June 17, 2019 at 04:33
I’m not sure we would have left without Ehu either Liesbet, such an adorable dog! I can see how much you’ve enjoyed this experience and I’m sure many dogs will benefit from the sleepovers, whilst for others it can be very disorienting. For a dog like Martha, who needs time to get to know and trust someone, it seems to cause her more stress. I can understand why she plants herself and she looks like the kind of dog who would be more suited to a long term foster home with a view to adoption. Generally speaking it is difficult to give an accurate assessment of a dog after one sleepover. They often won’t have adjusted enough to their new environment for their true personality to come through. Swift looks like a lovely dog too and when you feel a connection with a dog you have a good place to start a long-term relationship. What’s in the file doesn’t have to define him for the rest of his life. Everything they mentioned are issues that can be worked on and every dog will require a willingness in potential adopters to work on issues that may arise. We once adopted a saluki cross we were told was ‘untrainable’ and should be kept on the lead. He was very easy to train and great off-lead too! 🙂💖🐕 xxx
June 17, 2019 at 10:48
You know what you’re talking about, Xenia and you have great points! That’s why dogs get assessed before they can go on sleepovers and there are certain conditions or tips involved for each animal. Martha had not been assessed yet, so we were the first ones to spend prolonged time with her and provide a few insights to the caregivers. I totally agree with you that she’s one of those dogs that needs time to trust and adjust. We could see some changes already, after those 24 hours. Because of the way we had to approach her sleepover time, we managed to keep her longer than the usual sleepover dog. 🙂
And, you’re obviously right about the file and that it doesn’t have to define a dog for the rest of its life. A lot is up to the owners and the time and energy they decide to put forth for their beloved pups!
June 17, 2019 at 06:41
I have to wonder if this series is leading up to an announcement that you adopted a dog 🙂
June 17, 2019 at 10:41
Hum… where did you get that idea? I guess you’ll have to wait and see. 🙂
June 17, 2019 at 07:49
Uh-oh, Liesbet, I just read your reply to Janis’s comment…
June 17, 2019 at 10:42
Haha Nancy! The plot thickens…
June 17, 2019 at 12:14
Oh, my heart just swells when I read all the good things you and Mark are doing for these sweet pooches. I know you miss having your own dog in your life and Best Friends seems to have great adoption options, or at least the opportunity to play with and evaluate dogs for future homes. I too, will anxiously await your announcement, but no pressure from the blogging community. I understand your lifestyle. We love taking our knuckleheads with us on every road trip, with or without the trailer, and they soak up the adventures as much as we do! But if you ever need a dog sitter and you are near Sacramento….
June 17, 2019 at 19:48
Hi Terri! I’m glad you are enjoying my posts about Best Friends. I can just tell from the comments who the true animal (dog) lovers are and you certainly belong to that group! I can imagine that your pups bring you extra joy during travels, and certainly at home as well. Furry members of the family, for sure! We will see about that announcement… 🙂
June 17, 2019 at 13:13
The Ehu vid is really cute. I’ve seen dogs do that before – bury treats. Perhaps it is something about being out in nature that they think they need to save it for later. I gave a house sit dog a treat the other day. I assumed she ate it, but later I saw that she hid it in her bed.
I’m surprised that they let RVers do overnights. I guess it make sense that they don’t want them in RV parks but I would think that they would want to know exactly where the dog was – and you can’t really give them an address of the BLM land you are staying on.
Perhaps we will do some sleepovers if we ever volunteer at Best Friends!
June 17, 2019 at 19:56
Funny about that dog taking and hiding the treat in her bed at your current house sit. Must be some kind of natural instinct!
We told the coordinators at Best Friends that we would stay at the BLM across the street, which is where we went during the non-rainy weather with the dogs. I also think that they can gauge what kind of a person you are from interactions, and certainly after a week of volunteering, which is when we took most of the dogs home for the night.
It did seem like they were not a fan of us taking really big dogs with us, though, knowing that we were in a van. But, on the other hand, they knew we were hikers/walkers and outdoors people and some of the dogs love that! 🙂
I hope you manage to volunteer there next year and take a few suitable pups home for sleepovers. So much fun!!
June 17, 2019 at 14:47
Such an impressive organisation, they seem to think of everything.
June 17, 2019 at 20:01
That’s what we kept thinking as well, Anabel. Hugely impressive. And then we would realize that they’ve been at it – improving and working with the animals – since the eighties. 🙂 For example, the older buildings for the dogs are very differently set up than the newer octagons, where you can tell how they’ve learned things over the years, from the shape of the buildings to the way the doors of the runs are faced…
June 17, 2019 at 18:03
Sounds like an interesting concept, but I can’t help but wonder how sad the dogs feel when they leave, after maybe thinking they’ve got a new home?
June 17, 2019 at 20:09
Our experience has been that all the dogs are happy to be reunited with their caregivers. They do see the sanctuary as their home and I do think that this is the reason why you’re supposed to return the dogs in the morning and, if interested in another sleepover or outing, pick them up again in the afternoon. At least, that seems to be the standard, except when you’re considering adoption. Then, you can keep the dogs longer or for extended periods of time.
The main idea is to give them time away from their usual routines and lives at the sanctuary. And, of course, there is hope that some volunteers would adopt the dog that they liked during the sleepover.
June 18, 2019 at 09:03
Well, that sounds like a good structure then. Even animals need to get out for change sometimes too. 🙂
June 18, 2019 at 16:06
🙂
June 18, 2019 at 14:50
What a great concept! I bet Martha will be much happier and more confident on her next outing! 🙂
June 19, 2019 at 09:36
She was, Diana! 🙂
June 19, 2019 at 18:43
Total win-win; I agree! I’d be afraid I’d fall in love too fast with one of them and have to adopt, but I’m sure that’s part of the plan. What a great series of days and experiences you had there!
June 19, 2019 at 20:27
Yep, Lexie – Mark and I were pretty much in heaven those two weeks, despite the hard work and exhausted days! If you have a moment… check out my newest blog and you’ll see that “the plan” sometimes works. 🙂
June 20, 2019 at 07:13
Such a fantastic idea and concept of the sleepovers. And great that you guys made a difference in a few dogs lives by giving them your time and affection. You devotec two weeks to this. Kudos to both of you! Love it.
Peta
June 20, 2019 at 19:29
Thanks for the kudos, Peta. We really enjoyed the experience of volunteering and taking dogs home for a bit, and we know/confirmed that our hearts belong to dogs. Working with animals truly makes us happy, so if we ever apply for a real job again, it will be there, probably. 🙂