This Hotel Allows Guests To Foster Dogs During Their Stay, And They Can Adopt Them Afterward

Traveling and staying in hotels can be lonely. But this hotel in Mississippi has found the perfect way to cheer up lonely guests.

Home2 Suites by Hilton Biloxi North/D’Iberville operates a program called Fostering Hope. It’s been running since October 2018, and what it does is bringing dogs from the South Mississippi Humane Society shelter to the hotel’s front desk, offering guests the opportunity to welcome the adorable pets into their rooms during their stay. Plus, if they get along with them, they can later adopt them when they leave.

This serves to free up space in the shelter (which receives about 8000 dogs a year and gets about 80% adopted), so that more dogs can be helped, making it easier for them to find a new family. The hotel specializes in long stays (some have reservations for months), so it is the perfect place for the initiative.

This program was devised by Teresa Johnston, the sales director of the hotel. “We have many guests who stay for long periods of time, working at Keesler air base or Ingalls shipyard, as well as other industries. I saw the guests feeling lonely, so I wanted to help them and the community.

“People love animals and many guests chose to stay with us because of this program. We continue to do what we do, our families love the program during the summer and our staff does it all year round.”

“Besides, anyone can run this program. All it takes is a spokesperson for the property, a strong operations team, and a commitment to the local shelter to find a home for the animals. And that you like what you do!”

Human society says the program is very open, but they reserve the right to deny an adoption.

So far, there have already been 34 guests who have returned home with one of these dogs.