Join our pups on the water
Little Big Paws
Little Big Paws is a pontoon boat, a lake, and a very good day. Jen, our founder, personally funds a boat that takes fosters and volunteers out on the water with our adoptable dogs for lake days, boat rides, and swimming in the sun, because an animal should not have to wait for adoption to enjoy a day that belongs to them.
Why a rescue owns a boat
Today still belongs to the animal living it.
An adoption may happen next week. It may take much longer. Either way, the dog in our care is living a real life right now, and we believe that life should include fresh air, new smells, cold water, and people who are glad to be with them. Little Big Paws is one of the ways we make room for joy while the wait is still happening.
Bernie’s boat day explains it better than we can. Bernie takes his time choosing his people, so he does not get as many Doggie Dates as some of the other dogs. His outing gave him a few hours on the lake with people he trusted, and a day that did not depend on someone deciding to adopt him. He did not have to become a different dog to deserve it. He got to be Bernie.
Since then, Kady, Hulk, Rosie, Etta James, Leggy Lou, Yellowstone, Casper, Rosie Roux, and Long Legged Ruby have all had their day on the water, and the 2026 season is in full swing.
What a boat day does
More than a pretty picture
Decompression
Hours away from the shelter in open air lower stress and give anxious dogs a reset. Many come home calmer and sleep like they have not slept in weeks.
Confidence
New footing, new sounds, life jackets, and a gentle swim teach dogs that new things can be safe when the people around them are steady.
Bonding
Fosters and volunteers get uninterrupted time with a dog, and that time becomes the honest, detailed story we tell prospective adopters.
Visibility
Boat-day photos and reels are often the first time an adopter really sees a dog’s personality. A happy dog on a pontoon is hard to scroll past.
How it works
Safety first, then the fun
Every dog wears a fitted life jacket and is matched to the outing based on temperament, health, and what our team knows about them. Dogs who love the water swim. Dogs who prefer the breeze get a shady seat and a lap. Fosters and volunteers are paired with the dogs they already know, so the day is an extension of a relationship, not a stranger handing over a leash.
The pontoon is personally owned, and its outings and fuel are personally funded by Jen, not paid for with donor funds. That distinction matters to us, and we want supporters to understand it: your gifts go to care, and the boat is a gift on top.
The point is not how impressive the outing looks. It is that the day belonged to the dog.
Rescue Reimagined
Give a dog a day like this
The boat is covered. The dogs’ food, medical care, and the enrichment that fills the rest of their week are not.
A few moments we’ve shared on Facebook
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Different ways to care. One promise: an animal’s life deserves to be meaningful while we are responsible for it.
