The Inn by the Sea in Cape Elizabeth has had great success linking its guests with shelter pets needing forever homes.

New York resident Gayle Catropa, who visited Cape Elizabeth’s Inn by the Sea with her partner recently, didn’t expect to leave Maine with a new family member.

Catropa and her partner had stayed at the inn a few times, but their experience this past Memorial Day weekend was much different.

They fell in love with a 40-pound dog.

“When we walked into the inn, Loki was behind the check-in area and he had a little banner on him that said ‘Adopt Me,’ and he looked like the saddest, saddest little dog,” said Catropa.

Since May, the upscale and pet-friendly Inn by the Sea has been working closely with the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland to provide the Westbrook-based shelter’s first off-site dog adoption program.

And so far, it’s been a hit. Under the new partnership, guests or locals have adopted a half-dozen dogs, including Loki, a Plott hound mix that was transported from Westbrook to Cape Elizabeth late last month.

“He is so sweet. He is the kindest little animal,” Catropa said about Loki.

The couple got to play with the dog throughout their stay at the inn. They have since traveled back to New York and changed Loki’s name to Buddy in honor of Catropa’s father, who died two years ago. Buddy joins the couple’s other dog, Buster, which they also adopted in recent years.

Buddy, 2 years old, had been abused in his previous life before going to the Animal Refuge League earlier this spring, Catropa said.

“We couldn’t get him to eat or drink. Now he’s really settled in, and he’s gained almost seven pounds,” she said.

Catropa wasn’t planning to adopt another dog before staying at the inn, but she found something special in Buddy: “He is such a love bug; he loves to cuddle.”

Catropa recommends anyone interested in adopting a dog to visit the Inn by the Sea on Bowery Beach Road, because not only do the inn staff take good care of the dogs, but also everyone is aware of each dog’s history.

“I really appreciated the service we got with (Buddy),” she said.

While adopting a rescue dog “is sometimes a little bit scary,” Catropa said, she was impressed with the staff’s genuine concern for the animals and the simple adoption process at the animal shelter.

The Animal Refuge League also has a vast network of off-site locations for its cats and other small animals, said Community Relations Manager Jeana Roth. She said cats are available for adoption in more than 25 different off-site locations in southern Maine. But the new adoption program at the Inn by the Sea is the shelter’s first off-site dog location.

“We thought it would be a really good opportunity to shine a spotlight on adoptable animals,” Roth said, “and Inn by the Sea is a wonderful location.”

Since the program began, the inn has been able to find homes for six dogs of different breeds, including Mambo, a Bernese mountain dog mix adopted within three hours of arriving at the hotel.

“It’s been really successful in just the (past) month we have been running it,” Roth said.

The seventh dog to arrive at the hotel a week ago is a 7-year-old female Labrador retriever mix, named Zodi, who was available for adoption Monday.

According to Roth, “the shelter can be a naturally stressful place for some animals,” and putting the dogs in a different environment like the Inn by the Sea not only eases their stress, but is also “a great way to showcase” the pets.

“I think when a family or an adopter sees an animal outside of the shelter, they might be able to form a more instant connection, (since) it’s the only animal in front of them that’s available for adoption,” Roth said.

Only one dog is available for adoption at the Inn by the Sea at a time. During their stay, the dogs enjoy ocean-side walks and even have food items like a special meat loaf from the hotel’s “Yappy Hour” menu.

“They have a menu the chef created that has all dog dishes,” said Roth. “Our dogs are definitely spoiled and well-loved there.”

How the program works is simple. The shelter brings a dog to the inn, where it is taken care of by inn staff around the clock. They provide the food, bedding and toys. If a family is interested in the dog, they visit the shelter in Westbrook to complete the adoption counseling process and necessary paperwork.

“They learn all about the dog, what the dog’s looking for, the ideal home,” Roth said. “If they decide to finalize the adoption, then they head back to the inn and pick their dog up.”

According to Roth, the shelter is considering starting other off-site dog locations after seeing the popularity of the Cape Elizabeth location. On average, the dogs at the hotel have managed to find new homes within three to six days.

“The average length of stay for a dog is usually less than two weeks at the shelter,” said Roth.

At Inn by the Sea, “all of the dogs have been incredibly well-behaved,” said guest services manager Anne Bolton, who was walking Zodi at the inn Monday.

According to Rauni Kew, public relations director at Inn by the Sea, the new dog adoption program “is a way of helping the Animal Refuge League (spread) awareness of the need for homes for so many of these rescue animals.”

Kew said, so far, the dogs have ranged from a tiny Shih Tzu mix to the big Bernese mountain dog. In addition to showcasing the dogs at the hotel, she said, staff members have been posting photos of the dogs regularly on Facebook and Twitter to raise awareness of the new program.

“So many of our guests enjoy being around pets, so it works very well,” said Kew.

Inn by the Sea guest services manager Anne Bolton hangs out with 7-year-old Zodi, one of several dogs that have been showcased at the inn since May as part of a new dog adoption program with the Animal Refuge League of Westbrook. Staff photo by Kayla J. CollinsWith Inn by the Sea’s Anne Bolton holding the leash, guests meet Zodi, an adoptable dog who arrived at the hotel a week ago in her quest for a forever home.Staff photo by Kayla J. CollinsBuddy, a 2-year-old Plott hound mix, is one of several dogs that are being adopted under a new partnership between the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland and Inn by the Sea in Cape Elizabeth.