Pupventures, a volunteer‑run initiative of ACCT Philly, was launched around 2022 to give dogs confined to the city’s only open‑intake shelter a break from up to 23‑hour kennel stays. The program lets volunteers escort dogs on short trips to parks, cafés or a volunteer’s home, providing the animals with mental relief and a chance to display their personalities beyond the shelter’s play yards.
Since the April 2026 revamp, the program has logged roughly 500 outings and now averages between 30 and 50 daily excursions each month. Volunteers receive a backpack of supplies – water, treats, toys and information cards – and are required to complete a report card after each trip, noting any new behaviors observed.
Grace Weinstein, ACCT Philly’s director of development and marketing, said the outings “bring them back down to a more calm level and break them from that stress a bit,” adding that photos and videos from the trips help potential adopters picture the dogs in a home setting rather than a kennel.
Alisha Bristol, who oversees lifesaving management at ACCT Philly and helps run Pupventures, explained that the program’s success is measured by the exposure dogs receive outside the shelter. “Pupventures allow these dogs to go outside of Philadelphia and meet people who have never even heard of us,” she said.
WHYY News intern Jassmyn Nesmith documented a recent outing with Amaya, a gray‑and‑white American Staffordshire terrier surrendered by her owner. After a nervous start in the car, Amaya quickly relaxed, explored Fisher Park, performed basic commands, and even ordered a “pup cup” at a local water‑ice stand. The experience gave Nesmith insight into Amaya’s temperament that could not be gleaned from kennel observations alone.
The report card submitted after Amaya’s trip noted that she could sit, stay, give her paw, enjoy car rides and interact comfortably with strangers. ACCT Philly will add those details to her adoption profile, hoping the richer portrayal will attract a permanent home.
With the program’s expansion, ACCT Philly expects more dogs to benefit from regular outings, reducing kennel stress and improving adoption rates across the city’s 18,000‑animal annual intake.