Humane Society of Lincoln County (HSLC): Orvis Dog Enrichment Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
The funding of $1,000 was used to spay/neuter shelter cats and dogs to make them more adoptable and facilitate their adoption.
Animals that are spayed or neutered give potential adopters an added incentive to select them over those that are still intact. Adopters don't have to wait for surgery appointments or worry about their pet recovering from surgery. The HSLC has already taken care of that.
How many pets did this grant help?
Grant funding allowed the HSLC to spay eight female dogs, eight female cats, four male dogs and two male cats. It was used to sterilize a total of 22 shelter animals.
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
Unless they’re a cute, bubbly puppy or a desirable purebred, many shelter dogs get passed over without a second glance. That was the case with Abbott and Costello, two adult brothers found as strays. These big (Pyrenees mix?) boys came into the shelter shy and uncertain, but once they were cleaned up, neutered and given regular meals, they relaxed in their new digs. They were just two friendly guys who got along with everyone – people and other dogs. But no one noticed how cool they were. Even being featured in the EVT Shelter Voice got no interest.
So it was decided to take them to an off-site adoption event at a PetSmart store. Just before their trip, however, Costello came down with an infected toe that had to be amputated, so he was left behind. Abbott went and, not surprisingly, attracted a lot of attention, since he is one cool dude. Mr. Barber was particularly smitten. He and his wife walked Abbott around inside and outside the store before finally deciding to adopt him. Mr. Barber was interested to learn that Abbott had a brother who was also up for adoption and expressed an interest in seeing him if Abbott worked out.
Several weeks later, HSLC volunteers took several dogs, including Costello, back to PetSmart. Mr. and Mrs. Barber and Abbott (now Dakota) met them. It was a happy reunion for the two brothers. And, you guessed it, they are both now part of the Barber family.
According to Mr. and Mrs. Barber, Dakota and (now) Kennedy love to go for walks — especially to the bark park. It’s hard to tell which they enjoy more — people or the other dogs. They get along with everyone. They love watching squirrels, birds, and other animals. The Barbers are installing fencing so Dakota and Kennedy can have the freedom of their own yard.
If Dakota and Kennedy have a problem, the Barbers say, it is their occasional bouts of youthful exuberance. Being only a year or so old, they still need some training and discipline, but Mr. Barber feels that will come with time. Even though they have different and distinct personalities, they watch out for each other just like brothers they are.
It just goes to show that getting animals away from the shelter where people can see their unique personalities and maybe envision them in their own homes really helps. It also helps that the HSLC has the resources to spay and neuter these animals so they can go to off-site adoption events and, hopefully, directly into a new home. It worked for two brothers, didn’t it?
