How This Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Helps Rescue Dogs

As a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, Tori Skillings’s life moves quickly between performances, appearances, and practices. And representing one of the most iconic franchises in professional sports can come with added pressure. But somewhere in the middle of all that, she’s found a way to downshift: taking dogs from her local shelter, Dallas Animal Services, out for a day.

The outings are called “Doggie Daycations,” and the concept is as simple and generous as it sounds.

All about “Doggie Daycations”

“The idea really came from wanting to give shelter dogs a break from the environment they’re in every day,” Skillings said. Dallas Animal Services does extraordinary work, but a shelter still comes with added stressors for dogs between the noises, the smells, and the constant activity. 

During a Daycation, the dog gets to just be a dog for a few hours. 

Skillings keeps the outings simple: walks, fresh air, a bath, and a lot of unhurried time together. Recently, she took a pup named Rainey on a long walk, and gave him a bath and a meal of fresh, real food from The Farmer’s Dog. (Rainey was adopted soon after by a loving family.)

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“What the dogs respond to the most is just love and attention,” she said. “You can almost see them relax once they realize they’re getting one-on-one time and a calm environment. Sometimes all they want to do is sleep because they feel safe.”

That kind of immediate impact on the dogs keeps her going back. But here’s the thing about spending a day with a shelter dog: you go in thinking you’re doing something for them, and come out realizing the benefit was mutual.

For Skillings, time with dogs is a reliable reset. “Dogs are so present and genuine—they don’t care about your schedule or pressure,” she said. “When you’re walking a dog or just sitting with them, it forces you to slow down and be in the moment.”

Skillings’s family has several dogs, many of them rescues. But one holds a particular place in her heart: Chester, a cocker spaniel who came home through Dallas Animal Services.

“He’s truly the most amazing dog and best friend,” she said. 

Dog-friendly Dallas

Part of what makes Tori’s work possible is her city. Dallas, she told Digest, is genuinely good for dogs. It’s filled with dog-friendly patios and parks, a community of people who show up for animals, and organizations like Dallas Animal Services working every day to make sure fewer dogs slip through the cracks. 

“It makes it easier for people to integrate dogs into their everyday lives,” she said, “which is exactly what every dog deserves.”

If you’d like to make like Tori Skillings and take a dog out for a Daycation, reach out to Dallas Animal Services. You can learn more about fostering, adopting, and other ways to support their work at bedallas90.org.

The Farmer’s Dog is the Official Pet Food of the Dallas Cowboys.