A little more than a year ago I wrote about the McKibbon Hotel Group and its efforts to match orphaned pets with guests staying at its Aloft Asheville Downtown in Asheville, N.C. The hotel paired up with a local animal shelter, Charlie’s Angels Animal Rescue, in an effort to increase the dog adoption numbers in the community. As guests arrive at the Aloft Asheville Downtown, a dog welcomes them from behind the registration desk dressed in an “Adopt Me” vest. I thought it was a great idea and at the time of my article “ruffly” 20 dogs had found permanent homes.
I just learned that the Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort & Spa in Rancho Mirage, Calif. has been working for just over a year in partnership with Animal Samaritans, a local no-kill animal shelter, to introduce adoptable dogs to resort guests. Since May of 2015, 43 dogs have found forever homes through the resort’s “Dog Samaritans Adoption Project.”
“We had an idea that this program would resonate with our guests, but we didn’t realize just how many win-win-win combinations would result from this experimental partnership,” says Randy Zupanski, General Manager at the resort.
To create the program, a special pen area was set up in the lobby for one dog at a time from Animal Samaritans. Through the program dogs reside at the resort until they find their forever home. They are cared for by a dedicated team of associates, called Westin Dog Samaritans. They are walked throughout the day, played with and given social interaction opportunities, while also treated to the Westin Heavenly Dog Bed—a standard amenity for guests visiting the resort with their own pooch.
Average Dog Stay a Little More Than One Week
Applicants have come from near and far, and at an unexpected frequency. While the average stay for a dog is a little more than a week, on more than one occasion dogs were adopted so quickly that Animal Samaritans did not have another to immediately take its place. Dogs have been rehomed locally, across the country and even internationally in such places as Nevada, Pennsylvania, Vancouver, New York, Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange County and other areas. Animal Samaritans monitors the program, reviews all applications and makes approval decisions about the adoptions.
“Approximately 75 percent of the dogs adopted have found homes outside of the desert,” says Zupanski. “The stories are incredible. These dogs and their new owners find a connection with each other. People come to visit our beautiful desert and resort and go home with a new family member.”
The resort selected National Dog Day on August 26 as a fitting occasion to hold a reunion for the dogs that have been adopted. The Westin Dog Samaritans have identified a goal to have 50 dogs find homes through this program also by that date. Adoptee families from out of the area have been invited to return for the reunion.
‘Yappy Hour’ Open to the Public
The reunion, a “Yappy Hour” with activities for both dogs and their owners, is also open to the public and their canine companions. There will be a Pooch Portrait Booth for memorable photos, and vendors who specialize in pet specific offerings will be participating in the event. During their visit the dogs will be provided a Heavenly Dog Bed to use, and given a free take home keepsake toy.
Representatives of Animal Samaritans and the City of Rancho Mirage will be on hand to help celebrate the occasion. The City not only is debuting a dog park this summer, but it also provides reimbursement to residents who adopt animals from shelters such as Animal Samaritans.
“National Dog Day is a perfect time to celebrate of the success of this program and to also bring the community together for a fun event with their furry friends,” said Zupanski.
For additional information on the program and the VIP dogs, contact Raquel Wood at The Westin, or any member of the concierge team. Call (760) 328-5955. For more information about the resort visit www.westinmissionhills.com.
It is great to see yet another hotel playing matchmaker to dogs and prospective owners.
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