The opening day of New England Patriots training camp Wednesday marked the start of a new chapter. A new season brought on a new coaching staff, new players, and for many furry fans, a new home.

For the first time, the Patriots Foundation hosted a dog adoption event at camp, partnering with three animal shelters from across the region. With 40 dogs finding their forever home, it was an overwhelming success.

A dog even went home with a Patriots player and his wife.

To help promote the event, New England players Brenden Schooler, Hunter Henry, and head coach Mike Vrabel did press conferences with two rescue pups, Wyatt and Nash. This allowed a handful of families to line up an adoption before practice, and as they took the field for practice, Patriots players brought the dogs out to meet their new families.

Rookie kicker Andy Borregales was eager to participate in the initiative.

"I have three dogs, and really, we treat them like our kids," Borregales said. "They're really spoiled, and my wife and I are very into the adoption initiative because one of our dogs is actually a rescue. My wife rescued him when he was four days old, just in the middle of the street, so we have a soft spot for dogs."

Borregales walked out to practice with a mixed breed named Georgia, and joked to long snapper Julian Ashby while walking up the stairs that he might add a fourth dog to his household.

"Oh no," Ashby responded.

Little did Borregales know, his wife was more seriously plotting the same thing up in the family tent.

"As soon as the Patriots posted about the event on social media I was like, 'Andy, this is not good,'" Steph Borregales joked before surprising her husband with the news after practice.

"Walking to the adoption area, I just knew I was going to go home with a dog. I was looking at all of them and saw this cute little black fluff ball. I started holding her and that was it. I was like, 'Someone needs to tell Andy we're going home with this dog.'"

Even if Borregales was just kidding about taking another pet home, once he was surprised with the three-month-old shepherd mix, he couldn't say no.

Three local animal shelters were featured at training camp, including the Potter League for Animals, where the latest member of the Borregales family came from, as well as the Berkshire Humane Society, and the Animal Rescue League of Boston where Dr. Dana Kraft proudly serves on the board of directors.

Dr. Kraft was a driving force behind the initiative, which hits close to home to her and her husband, Patriots chairman and CEO Robert Kraft.

"Dana is on the board of ARL and she mentioned to me that the number of dogs in shelters is higher than it's ever been," said Robert Kraft.

"I don't know if that's because of what's going on with the economics of our country right now but I do know how these dogs can bring so much happiness and love."

The Kraft family's dog, Heisman, was present for the special occasion as well.

"Having Heisman in our life brought so much love, and dogs only know love," said Robert Kraft. "For anyone who has had it, I never would have believed the influence he's had in our family."

That influence extended even beyond the thousands of Patriots fans in attendance at training camp Wednesday.

New England fan Dennis Manning learned about the event from his niece, who was fostering a beautiful grey pup they named Daisy.

"We have two labs at home, a 10-year-old and a 3-year-old, and my niece came by and introduced us to Daisy," said Manning. "They all got along so well that we were sold."

Manning and his son, Dennis Manning Jr., arrived at camp donning Patriots jerseys to take the latest addition to their family home. As much as they love the team, Daisy was the real reason they came to camp.

"We couldn't pass up on this, but she stole our hearts more than anything. She owned us right from the jump."

Seeing the success from the event, Dr. Kraft hopes it will be the start of a new tradition at training camp.

Ultimately, football brings so many fans together each year. Connecting those people to a loyal companion of their own, who will stay beside them for the many Patriots games to come, made training camp as special as ever.

"I'm just so humbled that the Patriots would be willing to do this," said Dr. Kraft.

"It's definitely a change of pace for them and it's so needed. I think Brenden (Schooler) said it best yesterday when he said that dogs are the glue that hold a family together, and I know how we feel when we come home and we hear the little squeaky noises or the pitter patter, the joy it brings us. We're just happy to be able to share that with others. For the people and the animals that get adopted, to be able to connect them really is so meaningful."