Paws in the City: Change of scenery brings out true nature of long-stay shelter dogs
Adoptable 2-year-old Phoebe (A510542) recently enjoyed a fun day out at Lacy Park. Between sniffs, rolls in the grass and plenty of cuddle time with volunteers, she paused to pose for photos. Her adventure was part of Pasadena Humane’s new Local Landmarks series, where long-stay shelter pups get professional photo shoots at iconic local spots to help them find homes. Learn more at pasadenahumane.org.
Phoebe sat nervously in her kennel as volunteer dog handler Kristen Sullivan approached the 2-year-old shepherd mix calmly, leash in hand. It was the morning of the pup’s big photo shoot at Lacy Park in San Marino.
Kristen wasn’t sure how Phoebe would handle a busy park, but she decided to try. Once Phoebe was out of the shelter, she seemed like a different dog.
When her paws touched the park’s grass, she began to relax and loosen up. One of the highlights of the day came when Phoebe wriggled around on her back in the grass, basking in the sunlight.
Phoebe warmed up very quickly to Kristen and pet photographer Wren Louis. In between photos, Phoebe would check in with the two volunteers for pets and reassurance.
Phoebe’s visit to Lacy Park is a great reminder that, like humans, animals’ coping skills vary greatly. While our team provides the gold standard of care to all animals at our shelter, it doesn’t change a basic fact: a kennel environment is inherently stressful for pets.
Kristen puts it simply — who a dog is in the shelter isn’t always who they are outside of it. And I fully agree.
Phoebe is a great example. From a scared dog in the kennel to a fun-loving pup at the park, she shows that all it takes sometimes is a brief change of scenery for a dog’s demeanor to quickly shift.
Phoebe’s visit to Lacy Park is part of our new “Local Landmarks” photography series. A couple of times a month, Kristen and Wren take long-stay shelter dogs on short adventures to iconic locations around our service area.
Kristen and Wren came up with the idea while brainstorming ways to get more visibility for some of the long-stay dogs in our care. Their goal was to bring attention to the dogs, like Phoebe, who don’t show particularly well in the kennel or take longer to find the right adopter match due to their needs.
Kristen also loves that the series highlights the history and landmarks across the area. For her, it’s a way to bring these dogs into the very community that has supported Pasadena Humane for decades, but especially over the past year after the Eaton fire.
Since piloting the series back in November, Kristen and Wren have photographed dogs at iconic locations like the Gamble House, the Wrigley Mansion, the Pasadena Museum of History, and more. The volunteers hope to soon expand to locations in more neighboring cities.
Phoebe is now back in a foster home, where she gets to enjoy the comforts of a home while waiting to be adopted. She regularly attends adoption events in the community, where we hope she’ll soon meet her new family.
With the help of her patient foster parents and the support of our behavior team, she’s settled into home life well with consistent structure. She enjoys spending time with her foster parents, loves meeting new people, and especially enjoys going for walks.
Now through January 25, Phoebe’s adoption fee is just $26 thanks to our Dog Days of Winter adoption promotion for dogs 6 months and older. Thanks to the generous support of the Foundation for Canine Welfare, now is the perfect time to open your heart to a canine companion in need.
You can make this winter brighter for Phoebe or any of the adoptable pets at Pasadena Humane by giving them a loving home.
Follow our Local Landmarks series to see where our pups will be next on Instagram @pasadenahumane.
Chris Ramon is president and CEO of Pasadena Humane.
This blog post originally appeared as a column in the Pasadena Star-News on January 23, 2026.
