In 2025, Sue Melfi founded NamaSitStay with a vision that goes beyond yoga—it’s about creating meaningful partnerships with local animal shelters and helping more dogs find the loving homes they deserve.
At its core, NamaSitStay exists to support shelters and rescues in a hands-on, impactful way. Across the country, shelters work tirelessly to care for millions of dogs each year, yet many face overcrowding, limited resources, and the ongoing challenge of placing dogs in permanent homes. Even more concerning, nearly 20% of rescued dogs are returned—often due to behavioral issues or lack of proper socialization.
NamaSitStay was designed to be part of the solution.
By partnering exclusively with shelters and rescue organizations—never breeders or puppy mills—NamaSitStay creates opportunities for adoptable dogs to be seen, socialized, and loved in a completely new environment. These partnerships are not passive—they are active collaborations focused on increasing adoption success and supporting the long-term well-being of each dog.
Through thoughtfully designed yoga sessions, shelters are invited to bring adoptable dogs into a calm, welcoming space where they can safely interact with people. This setting allows dogs to build confidence, experience positive human connection, and practice social behaviors that are essential for thriving in a home environment.
At the same time, participants in these classes are introduced to dogs they may not have otherwise encountered. It creates a natural, pressure-free way to connect—one that often leads to stronger, more intentional adoptions.
Every NamaSitStay class also provides direct financial support to shelters. A portion of every ticket sold is donated back to the participating rescue, helping fund food, medical care, and daily operations. In this way, each session becomes more than an experience—it becomes a tangible contribution to the shelter’s mission.
For Sue, this work is deeply personal.
Her lifelong love for animals, combined with her own experience adopting rescue dogs during pivotal moments in her life, showed her just how transformative these connections can be. Her family’s dogs, Dixie and Winnie, didn’t just bring companionship—they brought comfort, stability, and joy during times when it was needed most.
But NamaSitStay isn’t only about helping dogs—it’s about helping people, too.
The integration of yoga into these experiences creates an added layer of impact. Yoga offers participants a chance to slow down, breathe, and reconnect with themselves, while also opening their hearts to the presence of the dogs around them. It fosters empathy, patience, and mindfulness—qualities that benefit both humans and animals alike.
In a world where both shelters and mental health systems are under strain, NamaSitStay brings these two needs together in a way that feels natural, compassionate, and effective.
By supporting shelters through visibility, socialization, and direct funding, NamaSitStay is helping to reduce return rates, improve adoption outcomes, and strengthen the bond between people and pets.
It’s a simple idea with a powerful ripple effect: when shelters are supported, dogs thrive. And when dogs thrive, people do too.
NamaSitStay is more than a class—it’s a community-driven effort to uplift local rescues, create lasting connections, and ensure that more dogs find not just homes, but the right homes.
Because every dog deserves a chance—and every shelter deserves support.
Throughout the month of June, $1 from every bag of DogStar coffee purchased will be donated to our featured rescue partner, The Incredible Pups Pet Rescue.