Shelter dog playgroups improve quality of life, staff and volunteer morale, and save lives!
WASHINGTON, DC, May 06, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ — Dogs Playing for Life, a national nonprofit that provides consultation to animal shelters nationwide, will provide Brandywine Valley SPCA with a playgroup seminar, marking their 400th shelter served!
Dogs Playing for Life is redefining the meaning and importance of quality of life for all sheltered dogs by improving their experience through playgroups and individualized training, resulting in urgent and responsible lifesaving. Since formally becoming a nonprofit in 2015, DPFL has served shelters through in-person training, webinars, and mentorship, resulting in hundreds of thousands of shelter dogs participating in playgroups nationwide. Shelters embracing DPFL’s playgroup model are best equipped to provide out-of-kennel enrichment for even the largest population of dogs, empowering them to achieve our Every Dog, Every Day! model.
In January 2025, Brandywine Valley SPCA took over all animal control, care, field, medical, and stray services for Washington DC. Dogs Playing for Life has worked with BVSPCA at their other campuses, where playgroups are provided to dogs daily to improve their lives while awaiting homes of their own.
DPFL and BVSPCA are thrilled to partner again at this newest location to enrich the lives of dogs in Washington DC as the 400th shelter to be visited by DPFL! The visit will include a classroom presentation and celebration on May 7th, followed by four days of hands-on coaching of BVSPCA’s staff and volunteers by DPFL’s expert team!
DPFL’s work would not be possible without the partnership of Petco Love and the ASPCA who have funded seminars at shelters without the ability to pay for training throughout the US since 2016. Shelters that implement DPFL programming enjoy decreases in the length of time dogs are housed at their shelter and increases in lifesaving, leading to progressive animal sheltering where dogs and their adopters thrive!
About the Brandywine Valley SPCA: Now the largest animal welfare organization in the region, serving three states and the District of Columbia, the Brandywine Valley SPCA was founded in 1929, and is the first open-admission no-kill shelter in Pennsylvania and Delaware. In 2024, the BVSPCA cared for more than 20,000 lost, stray, owner-surrendered, abused, and neglected animals while achieving a 93% live release rate. The BVSPCA provides animal protective services for much of Chester and Delaware counties in Pennsylvania, and it holds an exclusive contract with the Delaware Office of Animal Welfare to provide statewide animal services. BVSPCA is also contracted by DC Health to provide animal care and control services for the District of Columbia. Animals are placed through adoption centers in Dover, Georgetown, and New Castle, Delaware; West Chester, Plymouth Meeting, Harrisburg and Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Lindenwold, New Jersey, and Washington, DC. In addition, the BVSPCA provides families with safety net and low-cost veterinary services at its Animal Health Centers in Malvern and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Dover, Georgetown, and New Castle, Delaware, and Washington, DC. bvspca.org.
About Dogs Playing for Life: Founded in 2015, Dogs Playing for Life has been redefining the meaning and importance of quality of life for all sheltered dogs by improving their experience through playgroups and individualized training, resulting in urgent and responsible lifesaving. Since inception, DPFL has introduced playgroups to 400 shelters and counting, who realize an average 4.1% increase in lifesaving and 30% decrease in length of stay for dogs. Shelters frequently describe DPFL programming as “game changing,” “transformational,” and “the most important thing to happen for shelter dogs.” To find out more, visit www.dogsplayingforlife.org.
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