A Nebraska police department is taking shelter dogs on ride alongs in an effort to increase their chances for adoption.

Shelter life can be stressful for a lot of dogs, and unfortunately, when that stress shows itself in withdrawn or overexcited behavior, it can make it harder for a pooch to become adopted.

Taking a cue from a successful initiative launched by a police department in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the La Vista Police Department in La Vista, Nebraska, is opting to invite shelter dogs along for a ride.

La Vista Police Department Captain Bryan Waugh said in an interview with This Dog’s Life:

“The program offers an opportunity to not only strengthen our relationship with our partners at the Nebraska Humane Society, but also allows our officers an opportunity to engage our community in a way that we may not have been able to without the addition of a great dog.”

The program, called K9 For a Day, allows one dog at a time to hop in a patrol car with an officer and join them as they go about their day.

The first pup to go along for the ride was a bully breed named Mickey, who had found himself back in the shelter for the third time through no fault of his own. According to his handler for the day, Mickey charmed everyone in the community, and his efforts paid off in a big way – he was adopted by a local couple just a few days later after seeing his story on the news.

With one success story already under their belt, the department plans to continue the program and will be taking Nebraska Humane Society dogs out on their patrols on a regular basis. You can stay posted on their efforts by following the La Vista Police Department on Twitter or Facebook.

This post was originally published on December 9, 2017. 

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