On Saturday, September 19, LA Animal Services and Best Friends Animal Society asked Angelenos for a few hours of their weekend. Borrow a shelter dog. Take it to a park, on a hike or back to your place. Bring it back by the end of the day, or don’t.
The event was part of Best Friends’ nationwide Adventure Buddies Day. In Los Angeles, NBC4 reported, nearly 400 dogs from the city’s six shelters went out with volunteers. By the end of the day, 23 had been adopted and 37 had gone into foster homes.
A lobby full of people
“Seeing a lobby full of people who took time out of their weekend to come get a shelter dog out just for a couple of hours is amazing,” Brittany Thorn, executive director of Best Friends Animal Society in Los Angeles, told NBC4. “We knew Angelenos really cared about animals, but today was proof.”
One of those volunteers, Steven Szydio, took out Chico, a bull terrier. “I was so excited to meet Chico and get him out of the shelter, get him to see the world and have fun making new friends,” he said.
Why a day out matters for LA shelter dogs
Best Friends estimates that about 420,000 dogs are waiting for adoption in U.S. shelters on any given day. “It’s so much fun to take dogs out of the shelter, treat them to a pup cup and let them enjoy being a dog, and their outing might just be what it takes for them to find a loving home,” Best Friends CEO Julie Castle said in the organization’s announcement.
This year’s turnout was a big step up for Los Angeles. In August 2025, LA Animal Services held a smaller Adventure Buddy Day at three of its shelters, with a goal of getting more than 100 dogs out.
Adoption and foster information is on LA Animal Services’ website at laanimalservices.com.
Sources
- NBC Los Angeles, Dozens of LA shelter dogs enjoy day out and about thanks to volunteers (Sept. 22, 2026)
- Best Friends Animal Society, Adventure Buddies program
- The Facts, Adventures are for the Dogs this September 19 (Best Friends Animal Society release, Sept. 2026)
- LA Animal Services, Adventure Buddy Day
