9 Days of Dates: Take a shelter pup out for the day

CUMBERLAND, R.I. (WLNE) — If your Valentines Day plans are up in the air, the Hotel for Homeless Dogs in Cumberland has a date ready for you for the holiday.

“You sign up to be a volunteer and on Valentine’s Day you can pick up a furry friend for the day and take them with you,” founder Susan Joseph said. “You can go get dinner together, you can cuddle and watch Netflix, whatever you want for Valentine’s Day you can do it with company.”

Serving as a sanctuary for dogs from across the country, the Hotel for Homeless Dogs, which opened in 2020, rescued over 700 dogs in 2024.

“We have some really exciting things planned in 2025, we’re really excited for some new growth going on here,” Joseph said. “One of the biggest things when we opened is, I want a lot of enrichment and in my mind it was just to keep the dogs busy and make sure they were never bored or felt lonely.”

With the help of community members and the hotel’s foster program, the dogs are well-socialized.

“I don’t think I realized the magnitude of that program and going out with different people and going to different places going to a brewery on a Friday night where you’re exposed to so many different people and different animals and young children,” Joseph said. “Play dated can be a full day or a half-day.”

If you’re interested in taking a dog for a day, fostering or adopting, visit the Hotel for Homeless Dogs website here.