About

Why a year matters.

The average length of stay for a dog in a U.S. shelter is around two weeks. After 365 days, a dog is statistically far less likely to be adopted — not because of who they are, but because they've simply been there too long for visitors to notice.

What this site does

Long Stay is a free, open registry of dogs in U.S. shelters that have been in care for 365 days or longer. Shelters list their long-stay dogs directly. Anyone can browse, share, and contact the shelter to adopt — there are no fees, ads, or middlemen.

For shelters

Create a free account, list any dog who has been with you for a year or more, and update or remove listings any time. Each profile links back to your contact information.