The Franklin County Dog Shelter & Adoption Center in Columbus has reopened a Holiday Sleepover program for December that allows shelter dogs to spend the holiday period in volunteer homes. The program is intended to replicate the broad local support the shelter received during a similar Thanksgiving sleepover and to give dogs a chance to relax and show their behavior in a home setting.

Shelter officials said the initiative runs on a first-come, first-served basis with no appointments needed. Participants are invited to go directly to the Franklin County Dog Shelter & Adoption Center to select a dog and take it home for the holiday period; the shelter asked that animals be returned when the sleepover window closes, with return dates scheduled for Dec. 28-29. The shelter also noted the final day to participate in the current pickup window is Monday.

Erin Hamill, the shelter’s marketing and community relations manager, framed the program as a community-driven response to a successful trial in November. “Our community is truly what makes this program possible,” Hamill said, describing the pause-free pickup process and the benefits of giving dogs time outside the shelter during busy holiday weeks.

Organizers said the brief stays are designed for multiple goals: they provide temporary companionship to residents who want holiday company, give dogs exposure to home routines and quieter environments, and allow staff and volunteers to observe how animals behave outside a kennel. Shelter leaders emphasized that the short-term outings help reduce stress for dogs through human interaction and time away from the shelter environment. Helping Shelter Dogs Through Short-Term Outings has been shown to significantly boost adoption prospects.

The program’s organizers also cited measurable outcomes associated with holiday fostering programs more broadly. Shelter officials noted broader seasonal patterns as well: adoption rates during the December–January holiday period have remained steady in recent years. Home for the Holidays: Adoption Trends for Dogs During the Holiday period reach approximately 55% of intakes and have remained steady in recent years.

Staff said those outcomes are part of why they revived the December sleepover after the positive response in November. The brief home stays give the shelter additional data on how dogs respond to family environments, which can inform potential adopters and assist staff in matching animals with permanent homes when appropriate.

Local coverage of the program has included reminders about pickup deadlines and return windows; Columbus television station WSYX carried updates on the program’s return dates and the shelter’s request that participants return animals on the scheduled Dec. 28-29 dates. The shelter reiterated that the program is presented and operated by the Franklin County Dog Shelter & Adoption Center. How we help local pet shelters and rescue groups beyond participating in short-term holiday fostering, officials encouraged other forms of community support.

Organizers urged residents who are interested in hosting a dog for the holidays to visit the shelter directly and follow the simple, first-come, first-served process. With the holiday sleepover program running through the December period, the shelter said continued community involvement will determine whether similar initiatives are offered in the future.

Original reporting: view the original article.