Borrow a Buddy: One Week at a Time

Advocacy Alert

A small kennel door clicks open. The dog inside blinks, nose to the air. It is not the start of an adoption — not yet. This is a different kind of dog rescue, one that moves slowly, shaped by borrowed time and cautious hope.

Outside, the Arizona sun presses through the glass. The shelter’s air is thick with cleaning solution and the faint, constant shuffle of paws. One by one, animals are led out, leashes slack, tails uncertain. Some will spend only a weekend beyond these walls before returning. Some will not come back at all. Their trial homes may become forever homes. Or they may wait again, the cycle repeating. That is the quiet work of the Borrow a Buddy program.

The case

The Tempe animal shelter stands on a quiet street, set back from the rush of traffic. It is not the city’s largest, but it is restless — always looking for new ways to make dog rescue more possible, more humane, less permanent for those who need time to decide. Their new initiative, Borrow a Buddy, lets families foster for a week, a weekend, or just a day. No promises needed. No judgment if the animal comes back. The shelter staff prepare each handoff as if for adoption, but always with the knowledge that most animals will return, at least once.

The goal is simple: get dogs out of the shelter, even for a little while, and give potential adopters a real sense of life with a companion. For some, it is the trial that removes doubt. For others, it is a needed pause before a final decision. For the shelter, every borrowed night is a night a dog spends learning what home might mean.

The pattern

Dog rescue here does not always look dramatic. It is paperwork, leashes untangled, a crate in the back seat. It is the shelter staff placing a worn chew toy in a bag, not knowing if it will come back with the dog. The Borrow a Buddy program is built for the in-between. Animals are not always ready for permanent homes, and people are not always ready for the weight of forever. This program carves out a space for both to try, to fail, to try again.

Inside the shelter, the days are measured by who leaves and who returns. Some dogs come back calmer, tails higher. Others come back anxious, waiting for the next outing. It is not perfect, but it is real. The shelter’s staff watch patterns emerge — certain breeds leaving more often, older dogs waiting longer, some families returning to adopt after a single weekend. The system is not about instant success. It is about building trust, one short-term rescue at a time.

Dog rescue is rarely a single event. It is a process — sometimes a week, sometimes a month, sometimes longer. In this place, patience is policy. Each animal gets another chance, every time the door opens. The staff know the names, the quirks, the small victories. They have learned that the middle is where most of the work happens.

What the record shows

Since launching Borrow a Buddy, the Tempe animal shelter has watched as more dogs spend time with families outside the shelter. Some adoptions happen quickly; others take several trial runs. The record shows a steady increase in positive outcomes for both animals and adopters, but also the hard reality: not every dog finds a home on the first try. Some need more time. Some return again and again before they stay for good.

For those in the dog rescue community, these numbers matter — but so do the individual stories. A senior dog who finally settles on a child’s blanket after three borrowed weekends. A family who returns three times before deciding they are ready. The shelter staff quietly celebrate these moments, knowing each one is built on the small, deliberate actions of the program.

Dog rescue is about more than the dramatic saves. It is about giving space for hesitation, for learning, for trying again. The Borrow a Buddy program is proof that even a short stay outside the shelter can change the course of a life.

Why it matters

Every borrowed kennel, every leash clipped, every meal packed for a weekend away requires real resources. The Tempe animal shelter is funded by a patchwork of city support and community donations. The van that delivers a dog to its trial home, the staff member who stays late to process returns, the treats and toys that help an anxious dog settle in — all of it costs money. This is what the PACT Fund is built for: to fill the gaps between intention and outcome, to make sure dog rescue is not limited by what a shelter can afford.

With every order from The Modern Dog Company, the Fund grows. The PACT community votes on where that money goes: more foster supplies, better enrichment, more weekends out for dogs who have waited too long. This is how small changes in policy — a new program, a new way of thinking — become real, lasting progress for animals who need more than a single chance. Learn more about PACT's mission and how every order supports animal welfare heroes like those at the Tempe shelter. For more on best practices in adoption and animal welfare, the ASPCA offers resources for shelters and families alike.

5% of every order — whether it is a leash, a collar, or a new toy — goes directly to the PACT Fund. In this way, every action in the shop supports the work of dog rescue, one borrowed weekend at a time.

Three things you can do today

🐾 Take the action. Nominate a local hero who’s making dog rescue possible in your city. Nominate a Hero →

📬 Get the weekly rescue digest. Visit our Mission Briefing and tap the register button under the video to join PACT — learn more about who is speaking for the voiceless, share your stories, and help decide where the funds go... Mission Briefing →

🎟️ Add to the Fund. Every PACT order — toy, e-book, treat, anything — grows the Fund. Plus every order comes with a free animated sticker pack on us. Additional special offers when you watch the Mission Briefing. Browse the catalog →

Who will you speak for today?

This story is reconstructed from publicly reported rescue activity. The rescue, and the rescuers, are real.