Skip to main content

Stay at This Mississippi Hotel and Adopt a Shelter Dog at Checkout

From breezy car rides to snowstorms to long sunrise hikes, dogs make everything better. They also make travel better, but not everyone has a dog or can take theirs with them while away from home. One Mississippi hotel is now offering a unique adoption program to provide guests with free shelter pup companions during their stay.

The idea behind the Fostering Hope program is simple. Upon arrival at the Home2 Suites in Biloxi, Mississippi, guests will find a large kennel with a handful of shelter dogs in the lobby. Those looking for furry companionship can request to foster a pup during their stay and, if everything works out, officially adopt the dog at checkout. Lonely guests gain a travel friend, while the homeless pups find a new and loving home, so everybody wins.

home2suites dog
Home2 Suites/Instagram

The program is unconventional, but the hotel’s Sales Director Teresa Johnston wanted a way to engage better with the local community. According to the shelter’s manager, “Teresa thought they needed to set their hotel apart and this was it. She wanted to have the business more involved with the community. It was a very out-of-the-box way to find our animals new homes, so we were on board.”

Because the hotel caters to extended-stay guests, many spend weeks or even months on-site. The transient clientele includes military personnel and businesspeople who often have no permanent ties to the local area. Fostering a dog for the duration of their stay provides a sense of warmth and connection, and the length of a typical guests’ stay is usually long enough to form an attachment to their pooch.

It’s also a win for the Humane Society of South Mississippi, which takes in 8,000 dogs in an average year. Although it adopts out nearly 80% of those, it still needs all the help it can get. Since launching in October 2018, more than 33 hotel guests have opted to take their “rent-a-pup” home for good.

Guests at Home2 Suites Biloxi can apply and pay the $50 adoption fee at check-in. The hotel is quick to point out that not every guest is approved. The selection process is stringent with a clear focus on each dog’s long-term well-being. For approved guests, the wayward pup can move in with their new family immediately for the duration of the guests’ stay. What’s more: Every dog in the program goes home with an up-to-date medical evaluation, proper vaccinations, heartworm medication, microchipping, and spaying/neutering.

If you’re considering adopting a dog as an emotional support animal, here’s everything you need to know first.

Editors' Recommendations

A Very Scottsdale Summer: Why Visit ‘The West’s Most Western Town’ Now?
The Weather Is Hot, and This City's Offerings Are Even Hotter
A view of Camelback Mountain at sunrise from the Omni Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Montelucia

While this corner of Arizona is notorious for its blazing heat during this time of the year, Scottsdale has quite a few cool spots that feel so inviting. With a plethora of great resorts featuring fantastic pools, stunning nature preserves and hiking trails, and an increasingly vibrant Old Town with many of Arizona's hottest bars and restaurants, is Scottsdale cool enough for a sunny summer visit?

Today, we’re heading to this picturesque stretch of the Valley of the Sun to take in the views, hike among Arizona’s most iconic plants, swim a few laps at the pool, discover new art, and eat our way through Old Town to experience for ourselves why Scottsdale makes for a great year-round destination.
An Introduction to Scottsdale

Read more
Las Vegas Travel Guide: Where to Stay, What to Eat, and More
Las Vegas is Back and Better Than Ever
A view of the fountains and Paris Las Vegas' Eiffel Tower replica at Bellagio Las Vegas on the Las Vegas Strip.

A New Look at What's Hot in Sin City
In March 2020, the Las Vegas Strip suddenly emptied out and became eerily quiet. A drive down the famous street lined with mega-resorts and their glitzy lights was reminiscent of a drive through a post-apocalyptic city in any number of dystopian movies and video games. The cause of that desertion — the COVID-19 pandemic — only amplified that uneasy eeriness.

Halfway into 2022, Las Vegas is back with a vengeance. A brand-new casino resort has already made waves on the Strip. The restaurant scene is back and better than ever, with a mix of mainstays that survived 2020 and hot new spots that have everyone talking. Nightclubs and pool day clubs are once again open to all who seek the most scandalously good times this side of Ibiza. The airport and the freeways are jam-packed with travelers again. Finally, Las Vegas is on the mend, and we're here to guide you through all the best re-openings, all the hot new attractions, and everything else you need to know about Las Vegas travel.
What's Happening in Las Vegas Now?

Read more
Grand Canyon and Northern Arizona Travel Guide: Where to Stay, What to Do, and More
Experience the Best of Northern Arizona and the Grand Canyon
The South Rim of the Grand Canyon (Arizona)

Arizona is a state that automatically conjures up a certain type of desert scenery for many travelers. But while Arizona is a naturally arid state, the climate, the ecosystems, and the topography of Northern Arizona can differ greatly from those of Phoenix and Tucson to the south. Believe it or not, the higher reaches of the Grand Canyon get snow every winter!

The Grand Canyon may be one of America's most famous national parks, but there's so much more to see and do beyond the visitor center and the gift shops. Here's all you need to know about the region's best hikes, some more adventurous ways to explore the Grand Canyon, the coolest college town you might not have heard of, the most mystical red rocks you've ever experienced, and the vibrantly beautiful Native American communities of Northern Arizona.
A Re-Introduction to Northern Arizona

Read more