(PRESS RELEASE) A new initiative called Shelter Strong, created by John Sarver, founder of Gyms For Dogs, is transforming how shelters across the country care for and present their dogs. By installing durable, enrichment-focused play equipment in shelter yards, Shelter Strong is helping reduce stress, build confidence, and create more meaningful connections between dogs and potential adopters.
Shelter Strong installations feature thoughtfully designed structures—ramps, boulders, tunnels, benches, and elevated platforms—engineered for safety, durability, and canine behavior. These “gyms for dogs” give animals safe ways to run, climb, explore, and relax with people outside of the noisy, high-stress kennel environment. The goal is simple: healthier, happier dogs and better adoption experiences.
“We have a huge overpopulation problem in our shelters,” said Dr. Judy Morgan, an integrative veterinarian and Shelter Strong advocate. “I love the fact that John at Gyms For Dogs is really passionate about increasing adoption rates and has done the research to show that when we get the potential adopter and the dogs in an environment where everyone feels more comfortable and able to interact better, we increase the adoption rates. It’s pretty much a no-brainer.”
Traditional kennel walks—where potential adopters pass by rows of barking dogs behind bars—make it extremely difficult to assess an animal’s true temperament or emotional state. Dr. Morgan notes that when people and dogs can meet in a calmer, more natural setting, everything changes.
“There’s no way you can really assess an animal’s emotional status or behavior status when they’re in a barking run with 20 other dogs barking around them and everybody’s carrying on and being crazy,” she said. “When we take that person and we put them in a relaxed posture sitting on one of these benches, it lowers the stress levels in both the people and the animals. We see greater interaction when we put everyone in that more relaxed environment.”
One of the early Shelter Strong partners is Beagle Freedom Project, a nonprofit rescue dedicated to ending animal testing and rescuing survivors of laboratory research and cruelty. Nearly two years ago, the organization shut down an animal testing facility in Oklahoma that had housed more than 200 dogs and cats. Beagle Freedom Project not only took the animals into its care but also assumed responsibility for the property, transforming it into a sanctuary called Freedom Fields.
“They basically had nothing in these pens,” said Emily Clayton of Beagle Freedom Project. “They didn’t have any play equipment. They didn’t have toys. They didn’t have any blankets or anything. They slept on beds of straw.”
As the team renovated the space and transitioned to sanctuary-style care, enrichment became a central focus. Shelter Strong equipment is now helping those former research animals—and new intakes from other cruelty situations—discover what it means to simply be a dog.
“We really want this to be just a safe haven for all those dogs to have a safe place before they get adopted,” Clayton explained. “Teaching them to run up the ramp using little treats really helps build their confidence. They’re not as scared. They’ve got something to work on and focus on, and all those little things help them be a normal dog again and get to experience that.”
After researching options and securing grant funding from dog-loving supporters, PSPCA selected Shelter Strong equipment for its combination of durability and enrichment value.
“We made the decision to invest in some really superior quality equipment that would last and really be impactful for our dogs—and beyond something to just jump all over, but for mental stimulation,” Julie Klimm, CEO of the PSPCA, said. “We find the equipment very durable and very solid. We see dogs jumping on the boulders and using the tunnel house in different ways. We’ve purchased different pieces so we could have different experiences in different play yards.”
Even within just a few months of installation, staff and volunteers are seeing a difference.
“We’ve really seen an impact on the way the dogs interact with the equipment and the mental stimulation they’re getting from playing with it and interacting with our volunteers and staff,” Klimm added. “We’re very happy that we made the investment.”
For Shelter Strong and Gyms For Dogs, these stories underscore the broader mission: to give shelters practical tools that directly improve animal welfare while also supporting better adoption outcomes. By turning underutilized yards into structured, engaging play spaces, the initiative helps dogs decompress, build confidence, and meet potential adopters in a setting that reflects who they really are.
Shelters, rescues, and sanctuaries interested in learning more about Shelter Strong or exploring partnership opportunities can contact Amanda Parker at amanda@thecaway.com or visit https://www.gymsfordogs.com/shelter-strong-by-gyms-for-dogs/.
About Shelter Strong
Shelter Strong is an initiative created by Gyms For Dogs to bring safe, durable, enrichment-focused dog park equipment to shelters, rescues, and sanctuaries across the country. Through donations, grants, and partnerships, Shelter Strong installs “gyms for dogs” that reduce stress, support mental and physical well-being, and create better environments for meet-and-greets and adoption.
About Gyms For Dogs
Gyms For Dogs is a U.S.-based manufacturer, distributor, and retailer of intelligently designed, handcrafted, sustainable dog playground products. For more than 20 years, Gyms For Dogs has supplied dog agility and exercise equipment, water fountains, waste stations, and complete dog park packages to cities, HOAs, multi-family housing communities, veterinary clinics, dog daycares, and parks nationwide. All products are designed with safety, durability, and canine well-being in mind and are proudly Made in the USA. Learn more at www.gymsfordogs.com.