Giving back with your dog

The honest approach: We do not run an events database, because one we maintained would be out of date within a month. These directories are searchable by ZIP or city and are kept current by the people running the events.

Where to search: · AKC Event Search — akc.org, filter by ZIP for shows, trials, agility, scent work and CGC testing. Far more events than most people realize, including many open to mixed breeds.
· Your local animal shelter's calendar — the single most useful page, and usually the least polished
· Best Friends Animal Society — Strut Your Mutt walks in many cities
· ASPCA and Humane Society local chapter events
· Meetup — breed groups, hiking groups and training meetups, searchable by area
· BringFido events — dog-friendly festivals and gatherings by city

· Foster. Shelters are short of foster homes constantly, and it is the single highest-impact thing most people can do. Supplies and vet care are usually covered.
· Transport. Rescue relays move dogs between states in short driving legs — an hour of your Saturday is a real contribution.
· Photograph shelter dogs. Good photos measurably shorten how long a dog waits, and shelters rarely have anyone who can take them.
· Walk and socialize. Most shelters have a volunteer orientation once a month.
· Foster a pet for someone in crisis — hospital stays, domestic violence, housing loss. Organizations coordinate this and always need homes.

If your dog genuinely enjoys strangers, therapy visiting is one of the best uses of that temperament. Start with the AKC Canine Good Citizen, then a certifying organization such as Alliance of Therapy Dogs, Pet Partners or Therapy Dogs International. Note this is NOT a service dog — therapy dogs have no public access rights and visit by invitation.

Not every dog should do this, and that is fine. A dog who tolerates strangers is not the same as a dog who enjoys them, and putting a tolerant dog in a hospital corridor is unfair to them. The good organizations test for exactly this.

Nothing on this page costs money. Most of it costs a Saturday morning.