Giving Tuesday, the global day of generosity, is tomorrow - but you don't have to wait to show your support for Sacramento County's shelter dogs!

Sacramento Shelter Pets Alive (SSPA) has already kicked off our Official Giving Tuesday Facebook Fundraiser!

Amid COVID-19, many nonprofits are struggling to sustain programs and services - and SSPA is no exception.

We depend on the community's support and generosity to maintain our life-saving programs that serve as a safety net for large-breed shelter dogs. Those programs include in-depth behavioral and rehabilitative services, our foster/fospice program, Dog Day Out - and more!

Please consider donating any amount you can to support our community's dogs who are most in need!

Every dollar makes a difference when it comes to saving dogs!

And your donations are tax deductible.

➤ Don't forget to tune in on our Facebook and Instagram accounts as we share videos throughout the day on Giving Tuesday!

We can't thank you enough for your support!

A fun way to end Adopt a Senior Pet Month and kick off Giving Tuesday! Click above.

When SSPA kicked off its Dog Day Out Program at the beginning of September, Aaron and Joy were among the first to sign up!

It was truly a family affair, as their teenage daughter found out about it on social media and knew the program would be a perfect fit for her parents.

"We’ve always liked watching all the little videos on The Dodo together, so watching people help all those sweet animals inspired her to start looking on social media to see if we had any local places that had any animal opportunities," the couple told SSPA. "She told us about it and knew this would fit perfectly in our wheelhouse.

"We signed up immediately back in September and fell in love with the dogs and program."

Despite loving pets, the family hasn't been able to have one due to their youngest daughter having severe allergies.

The SSPA program allows them to get some of that quality time with a pet without endangering their daughter's well-being.

"It’s a win/win," they said. "Our friends always joke and ask us what dog we rented for the day, but this program has totally been such a great way for us to meet so many different types of dogs."

The couple says figuring out what makes each shelter dog tick while giving them some time outside the shelter gives them a great sense of accomplishment.

"It’s like a puzzle and we love figuring out those pieces. Every dog has a way to their heart and figuring that out is great," Aaron and Joy said. "We love when these dogs look at you and you just know you are doing the right thing and they appreciate it. It’s fun then to see pictures of when other people check them out for the day, it’s like looking at photos of a family member that you actually like."

The couple says volunteering with the Dog Day Out Program has enriched both of their lives in many ways.

"It brings some level of peace to go there and being able to be yourself for these dogs. They don’t care about who you are or what you’ve done, they just want you to be able to love and play with them. It’s relaxing to just be yourself and see something else be so happy from such simple things," they said.

"We love when we find out quirky things about them or they do something silly to give us a story to tell later. We are putting each dog’s picture on our dog wall and telling a story about them. It also gives us a good chunk of bonding time with ourselves as we now get to walk a lot with them (and then it becomes our friendly competition of which one of us the dog likes better)."

How does it feel when one of the dogs they've checked out finds a home?

"We're glad it seems like the dogs are never around for too long for us. They seem to get picked up relatively quickly and that’s a good thing," the couple said. "We love these dogs and are just elated to know they are going to these homes where they will be loved. When they finally go 'home' it feels full circle and you are glad to be a part of that, even if it was only for a day."

If you're on the fence about volunteering with the Dog Day Out Program, Aaron and Joy highly recommend giving it a try!

"It’s flexible enough that you can do it whenever and for however long works for you. It's easy peasy," the couple said.

And it truly helps SSPA's dogs, so the more who participate, the better!

"If enough people signed up every day to do this, there wouldn’t be any dogs sitting in the shelters during the day," the couple said. "Something so small makes such a difference for these dogs.

"SSPA has done such a great job with these dogs and this program, you’ll be impressed!"

Thank you, Aaron, Joy and all Dog Day Out volunteers, for doing your part to keep our pups smiling!

We'd love to share your story! Have your own SSPA story to share and/or want to be interviewed for SSPA's newsletter? Email us at sspaupdates@gmail.com!

What’s the best thing about being a member of the SSPA team?

It is so inspirational to see the dedication the team has for helping dogs in our community! SSPA is always striving to implement innovative and cutting-edge ways to improve the lives of shelter dogs!!!

There have been SO MANY amazing memories over the years, but one that comes to mind is a recent experience with one of my foster dogs , Stella. She was one of the last dogs to go into foster when COVID hit. She was so afraid and uncertain. She didn’t want to look directly in your eye and the slightest touch would cause her to shudder and pancake to the ground. You wouldn’t recognize that she’s the same dog today! Her adopter keeps me updated on her progress. She is fun-loving and enjoys playing with her canine friends, and she and her new “mom” couldn’t be happier with one another ❣️

I can’t wait to see what the future has to hold for SSPA!!! I love working on the photo team, walking and the occasional foster. I would love to see us expand and become more autonomous; hopefully our own space will become a reality sooner than later!!!

Currently my only resident pet is a 20-year-old orange tabby Seamus. I love him to pieces, but unfortunately he does NOT share my soft spot for dogs!! 😼

Mosley, our beyond-adorable brindle short stack, found his family!

He made waves among volunteers with his cuteness, including resting his head on people's hands when he was tired!

His adopter said, "Mosley is AWESOME! He has settled in quite well here so far. I took him to the river yesterday, no issues at all ... we've played frisbee in the yard, and he's enjoyed chilling by the fire at night. Both my son and I are thoroughly enjoying him!"

Congratulations, Mosley and family!

We also received a wonderful Thanksgiving update on Charlotte, our beloved senior girl in fospice!

She’s making the most out of each and every day!

Her fospice provider said, “She is doing pretty good considering her nights are rough; she makes her days count though. She is the sweetest girl, She eats like a queen daily and we mosey around the park for as long as she wants!”

Cancer sucks, but don’t be sad for Charlotte! She is one of the lucky ones who’s safe and happy in a loving home!

We are so grateful to her fospice provider for making her a treasured family member - something every pet dreams of!

This dapper senior gentleman is such a softie - and what better time to give him a home than Adopt A Senior Pet Month?!

He takes a minute to warm up, but after that he's all about companionship.

Volunteers who took Jones for a day out said he's "such a sweet boy"; "a big guy with such a sweet disposition"; "one super loyal companion"; "a beauty"; and that they loved him!

He'd love to get the chance to be a cherished family companion - and he so deserves that opportunity!

Can you make Jones' dreams come true? Fill out an application below to bring him home!

This sweet, young girl has enjoyed all of her outings with our amazing volunteers!

After a Dog Day Out, volunteers said, "We love Lilah so much! She was a little timid first meeting us, but it didn’t take her long to come out of her shell! We took Lilah to get a puppacino and then we adventured in two hiking spots. She is very obedient and was quick to sit for a treat! Lilah is extremely good on a leash and was not reactive to her surroundings. She enjoys staying by your side and receiving love. We love this sweet girl!"

Please note: This adorable girl would prefer to go to a home without children or other dogs.

To bring her home, fill out an application below.

This young, adorable guy has been through a rough patch with illness and come out on top!

He's known for giving puppy kisses and just being an all-around silly and joyful dude!

He's proved to be great on walks or jogs as well!

Things to note: He has some mouthiness and resource-guarding, so we'd prefer he go to a home without kids. He is also much more comfy with women.

Help us keep him smiling; apply to foster or adopt him below.

Did you miss our previous newsletters? You can check them out here:

Oct. 1 Edition | Oct. 12 Edition | Oct. 19 Edition | Oct. 26 Edition |

Nov. 2 Edition | Nov. 9 Edition | Nov. 16 Edition | Nov. 23 Edition