Animal Welfare Professionals

This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous

We are a large private no-kill shelter. We are STRUGGLING right now. Of our 65 adoptable dogs, 82% have been here longer than 6 months. Almost half have been here longer than a year.

We are in the process of making some changes at the leadership level, but what have you done that has really worked to move dogs that have been in the shelter too long?

It's so discouraging to see their sweet faces over and over each day.

#AdoptionsandAdoptionPrograms

Hi! We also have dogs who have been in the shelter for a long time. As the Marketing Coordinator, I try to create social posts highlighting our long-term residents and, in partnership with our Foster Coordinator, reach out to potential fosters and rescues.

It can definitely be harder to get our longer-stay dogs out, but we've had success with some going into foster and others being adopted. It's often a slow process, though.

My biggest advice is don't give up. Keep reaching out to rescues, continue putting the dogs in front of the public, and most importantly, let honesty be at the forefront of how you market and talk about them. Sometimes finding the right placement just takes time and persistence.

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Krista Lee
Marketing and Development Coordinator
League City Animal Care
TX
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I keep reading "reach out to rescues".  As a rescue I will tell you that across the US rescues are packed, foster homes are filled, adoptions are slow. Now all rescues aren't created equal, just like shelters.    I have a three page application. I check references, especially veterinary references. I do a home visit, and more.  But the point is that rescues, like shelters are filled. It is especially government shelters that take it hard hit. They are responsible for strays, relinquishments, cruelty cases, fighting cases, hoarding cases and more.  No Kill was fine in 1984 when it began. Now populations of people have increased and therefor the pet population.  And that leads to a whole different discussion.

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Linda Moore, BS, MS
Pet's Second Chance for Life Inc, DBA PSC Welsh Corgi Rescue
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-13-2026 06:44 AM
From: Krista Lee
Subject: Too many dogs staying too long

Hi! We also have dogs who have been in the shelter for a long time. As the Marketing Coordinator, I try to create social posts highlighting our long-term residents and, in partnership with our Foster Coordinator, reach out to potential fosters and rescues.

It can definitely be harder to get our longer-stay dogs out, but we've had success with some going into foster and others being adopted. It's often a slow process, though.

My biggest advice is don't give up. Keep reaching out to rescues, continue putting the dogs in front of the public, and most importantly, let honesty be at the forefront of how you market and talk about them. Sometimes finding the right placement just takes time and persistence.

------------------------------
Krista Lee
Marketing and Development Coordinator
League City Animal Care
TX
------------------------------

We at Retrieve a Golden of the Midwest (RAGOM) have seen a substantial reduction in our intake except for dogs with behavior issues. We accept referrals from shelters of golden mixes even if they don't look golden (labs, pyrs, doodles) .  We have so many more applicants than dogs. We are foster based, do home visits, meet and greets, and leave the decision of whether its the right home to the Foster who knows the dog and their needs best. We also post on multiple websites to increase public exposure for the mixes. Keep asking and I hope you find the rescue that can help you out. There are several in MN that are getting dogs transported north including Coco's Heart. Best wishes!

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Louise Dobbe
Foster Manager
Retrieve a Golden of the Midwest
WI
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-13-2026 11:02 AM
From: Linda Moore
Subject: Too many dogs staying too long

I keep reading "reach out to rescues".  As a rescue I will tell you that across the US rescues are packed, foster homes are filled, adoptions are slow. Now all rescues aren't created equal, just like shelters.    I have a three page application. I check references, especially veterinary references. I do a home visit, and more.  But the point is that rescues, like shelters are filled. It is especially government shelters that take it hard hit. They are responsible for strays, relinquishments, cruelty cases, fighting cases, hoarding cases and more.  No Kill was fine in 1984 when it began. Now populations of people have increased and therefor the pet population.  And that leads to a whole different discussion.

------------------------------
Linda Moore, BS, MS
Pet's Second Chance for Life Inc, DBA PSC Welsh Corgi Rescue
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 08-13-2026 06:44 AM
From: Krista Lee
Subject: Too many dogs staying too long

Hi! We also have dogs who have been in the shelter for a long time. As the Marketing Coordinator, I try to create social posts highlighting our long-term residents and, in partnership with our Foster Coordinator, reach out to potential fosters and rescues.

It can definitely be harder to get our longer-stay dogs out, but we've had success with some going into foster and others being adopted. It's often a slow process, though.

My biggest advice is don't give up. Keep reaching out to rescues, continue putting the dogs in front of the public, and most importantly, let honesty be at the forefront of how you market and talk about them. Sometimes finding the right placement just takes time and persistence.

------------------------------
Krista Lee
Marketing and Development Coordinator
League City Animal Care
TX
------------------------------

I remember when Goldens were the breed that everyone just had to have. Years ago there was a commercial with Goldens. That's all that it took for breeders to ramp up and everyone just had to have one. And you may remember the movie 101 Dalmatians.  Dalmatian Rescue was soon overwhelmed.  Now it's my breed, Everyone has to have one.  No research about herding breeds. Our rescues are packed coast to coast.  Hopefully a new movie will hit the screens with another breed that everyone has to have. :-)

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Linda Moore
Pet's Second Chance for Life Inc, DBA PSC Welsh Corgi Rescue
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-13-2026 11:44 AM
From: Louise Dobbe
Subject: Too many dogs staying too long

We at Retrieve a Golden of the Midwest (RAGOM) have seen a substantial reduction in our intake except for dogs with behavior issues. We accept referrals from shelters of golden mixes even if they don't look golden (labs, pyrs, doodles) .  We have so many more applicants than dogs. We are foster based, do home visits, meet and greets, and leave the decision of whether its the right home to the Foster who knows the dog and their needs best. We also post on multiple websites to increase public exposure for the mixes. Keep asking and I hope you find the rescue that can help you out. There are several in MN that are getting dogs transported north including Coco's Heart. Best wishes!

------------------------------
Louise Dobbe
Foster Manager
Retrieve a Golden of the Midwest
WI
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 08-13-2026 11:02 AM
From: Linda Moore
Subject: Too many dogs staying too long

I keep reading "reach out to rescues".  As a rescue I will tell you that across the US rescues are packed, foster homes are filled, adoptions are slow. Now all rescues aren't created equal, just like shelters.    I have a three page application. I check references, especially veterinary references. I do a home visit, and more.  But the point is that rescues, like shelters are filled. It is especially government shelters that take it hard hit. They are responsible for strays, relinquishments, cruelty cases, fighting cases, hoarding cases and more.  No Kill was fine in 1984 when it began. Now populations of people have increased and therefor the pet population.  And that leads to a whole different discussion.

------------------------------
Linda Moore, BS, MS
Pet's Second Chance for Life Inc, DBA PSC Welsh Corgi Rescue
------------------------------



Original Message:
Sent: 08-13-2026 06:44 AM
From: Krista Lee
Subject: Too many dogs staying too long

Hi! We also have dogs who have been in the shelter for a long time. As the Marketing Coordinator, I try to create social posts highlighting our long-term residents and, in partnership with our Foster Coordinator, reach out to potential fosters and rescues.

It can definitely be harder to get our longer-stay dogs out, but we've had success with some going into foster and others being adopted. It's often a slow process, though.

My biggest advice is don't give up. Keep reaching out to rescues, continue putting the dogs in front of the public, and most importantly, let honesty be at the forefront of how you market and talk about them. Sometimes finding the right placement just takes time and persistence.

------------------------------
Krista Lee
Marketing and Development Coordinator
League City Animal Care
TX
------------------------------

We're a private no-kill shelter as well, and I completely understand how discouraging it can be to see the same dogs waiting day after day. ❤️

One thing we've been focusing on is making sure our long-term dogs aren't simply "available" - we're actively marketing them. We regularly refresh adoption photos and descriptions, highlight individual dogs on social media, create updated adoption flyers, and give our long-term residents extra exposure through events and programs like Dog Day Out.

We've also found that getting dogs outside of the shelter environment can make a huge difference. Even a day out with a volunteer, a foster weekend, a field trip, or a short-term foster can give potential adopters a much better picture of who that dog is outside of a kennel.

Another thing we're working on is looking at each long-term resident individually rather than assuming one solution will work for everyone. Sometimes the issue is their marketing, sometimes their adoption requirements, sometimes their behavior in the shelter, and sometimes they simply aren't getting enough visibility.

We're still struggling too, and we certainly don't have all the answers. But I think the biggest thing we've learned is that length of stay has to become a specific focus rather than something we just monitor. These dogs deserve to have a plan built around getting them out of the shelter.

Sending you lots of encouragement - it's incredibly hard watching them wait. ❤️

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Shey Wensel
Animal Care Tech
Brightside Animal Center
OR
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Thank you, Shey! This is exactly what I needed to hear, too, as we are in a similar situation. We are doing a lot of things right, but we need more focus on doggy days out and short-term fostering, which we don't do right now. I also need to talk to volunteers about getting more photos and videos when they are out of the shelter. I appreciate your response and your encouragement!

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Julie Austin
Development Director
Humane Society of Pulaski County
Little Rock
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-13-2026 12:40 PM
From: Shey Wensel
Subject: Too many dogs staying too long

We're a private no-kill shelter as well, and I completely understand how discouraging it can be to see the same dogs waiting day after day. ❤️

One thing we've been focusing on is making sure our long-term dogs aren't simply "available" - we're actively marketing them. We regularly refresh adoption photos and descriptions, highlight individual dogs on social media, create updated adoption flyers, and give our long-term residents extra exposure through events and programs like Dog Day Out.

We've also found that getting dogs outside of the shelter environment can make a huge difference. Even a day out with a volunteer, a foster weekend, a field trip, or a short-term foster can give potential adopters a much better picture of who that dog is outside of a kennel.

Another thing we're working on is looking at each long-term resident individually rather than assuming one solution will work for everyone. Sometimes the issue is their marketing, sometimes their adoption requirements, sometimes their behavior in the shelter, and sometimes they simply aren't getting enough visibility.

We're still struggling too, and we certainly don't have all the answers. But I think the biggest thing we've learned is that length of stay has to become a specific focus rather than something we just monitor. These dogs deserve to have a plan built around getting them out of the shelter.

Sending you lots of encouragement - it's incredibly hard watching them wait. ❤️

------------------------------
Shey Wensel
Animal Care Tech
Brightside Animal Center
OR
------------------------------

Not sure where you're located, but I wonder if you could get in contact with some local (or national) influencers who could spotlight your dogs, or even take fresh pics of them to use the power of social media. Anyone who can film a dog day out and make some cute content to get people seeing these pups in a fresh light, or seeing them at all, could make a huge difference! Use a sense of humor and a distinct voice, and let people know these wonderful dogs have been waiting far too long. We aren't a rescue (grantmaking organization), but we try to make connections and help get dogs seen as much as possible - feel free to DM us any content you'd like us to repost.

https://www.instagram.com/thehanselfoundation/?hl=en

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Katy Herman
President
The Hansel Foundation
IL
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We have a section in our city's Sunday paper where we can highlight animals, we often work with the local news and will have small segments about shelter going ons and featuring some of our long term dogs. An active social media across several platforms like facebook, instagram, and tiktok is also super important. There's a great facebook group for shelter marketing where people share what has worked for them in that specific area and you can look at other pages to see what their marketing looks like. Lean into online trends, silly videos, and consistent posting. It's also really helpful if you have volunteers, they often will post about dogs they care about on their own pages so I would see if any of the people at your shelter whether it's staff or volunteers, would be interested in sharing posts on their feeds as well. For our longest term dogs we also often make a care package that we display along with a poster board highlighting the dog with lots of fun things the dog gets to go home with when adopted. The facebook group is called Animal Shelter Social Media. If you don't have them already, I would encourage foster to adopt programs so that it can get the dog out but it lifts some of the pressure off potential adopters and gives them some time to live with the animal before finalizing. I would also look into if you are able to reduce any potential artificial barriers to adoption, I know a lot of shelters and rescues still operate out of an overly protective adoption application process and there has been a lot of research into the benefits of reducing adopter restrictions like references and home checks. 

https://www.aspcapro.org/resource/effective-tips-boost-adoptions-reduce-barriers-improve-experience

https://www.maddiesfund.org/removing-barriers-to-adoption.htm

https://humanepro.org/sites/default/files/documents/adopters-welcome-policies-remove-barriers.pdf

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Laurel Wilton
Feline Welfare Supervisor
Nebraska Humane Society
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It's tough seeing dogs stay in shelters that long. One thing that may help is giving long-stay dogs individual profiles, updated photos, short videos, and regular adoption spotlights. Partnering with local fosters and rescue groups can also open up more placement options.

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Zoe Dawson
Founder Of Pest Control Company
Rodent Control Rochester MN
MN
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