Summer can be the best time to adopt a pet
Eager to add a four-legged friend to the family? Summer can be one of the best times to adopt a dog, thanks to the warm weather, later sunsets, and relaxed vibe that ease pets and humans into training and bonding.
To help get more dogs adopted, nonprofit rescue Wags & Walks will return to the the Hamptons this summer with rescue dogs from high-kill shelters in the South. Family-friendly dogs of all breeds, sizes, and ages will be available, including often overlooked dogs like medical cases, moms and puppies, and bully breeds.
Starting on July 8 and running through August 25, Wags & Walks’ signature Pup-Up will include a seasonal series of fun, engaging adoption events hosted throughout the Hamptons including at Amagansett Square and Sagaponack Farm Distillery, which has a tasting room for its local spirits and cocktails. Adoption events will also include Bark and Beach Meetups, Dylan’s Candy Bar shopping events, puppy yoga and more.
A Lhasa Apso dog at the beach
“Bringing the Wags & Walks Pup-Up to the Hamptons last summer was incredibly special. We saw so many lives changed—dogs finally getting the second chance they deserved, and people falling in love the moment they met them,” said Lesley Brog, Wags & Walks founder. “We’re coming back this year with even more amazing dogs, ready to find their forever families and spread the word about the power of rescue.”
Those who want to get involved in the pup-up can volunteer to foster the visiting dogs, or help support event execution with setup, guest engagement, adoption coordination, and more.
The Hamptons is notably dog-friendly, with several hotels, parks, restaurants, shops and more accomodating furry friends.
Looking to adopt or foster a dog locally before the pop-up? Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons (ARF) has dozens of dogs and cats available for adoption, with open shelter hours daily in East Hampton. Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation also houses dogs, cats, and small animals available for adoption in Hampton Bays.
A guest and their dog attend the Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation's 1st annual beach party SO … More
Rescue Dogs in New York
As of 2025, New York state is on track to save more pets than ever.
Best Friends Animal Society, a national animal welfare organization working to end the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters, released new data showing that New York saved 89 percent of dogs and cats in their shelters. That is, the number of pets unnecessarily dying in New York’s shelters has declined by 72 percent over the past eight years, a significant milestone predating New York officially banning the sale of dogs and cats at pet stores in December 2024.
“Thanks to increased support for proven no-kill programs, such as community adoption events and access to low or no cost spay and neuter services, more dogs and cats are saved each year in New York shelters,” said Aurora Velazquez, Director for the East Region of Best Friends Animal Society. “2024 marked a significant no-kill milestone when, according to the Best Friends save rate calculation, Animal Care Centers of NYC achieved a 90 percent save rate for the year for the first time.”
Debating adopting a pet? Just one adoption can make a difference.
“Millions of U.S. households will add a pet to their family this year,” said Julie Castle, CEO, Best Friends Animal Society. “If just 1 in 17 of those families chose to adopt from a shelter instead of purchasing from a pet store or breeder, we could reach no-kill nationwide. This is solvable – we can end the unnecessary killing of our nation’s pets – their lives are literally in all of our hands.”
