Young-Williams Animal Center: Play Yard Renovation Grant Report

How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?

To install a shade structure in our largest outdoor run so that our pets can enjoy comfortable outdoor play all year round.

Outdoor play is so important to the health and well-being of homeless pets during a stressful time in their lives. Dogs Playing for Life has had so many benefits for our shelter dogs, but our outdoor runs are concrete and can get very hot during the summer. We try to hose down the ground and provide a water tub for playing and cooling off in, but we desperately needed more shade. The Petfinder Foundation has enabled us to add a shade structure that meets the aesthetic guidelines for our city-owned building and prevents us from having to cut play sessions short due to the heat.

How many pets did this grant help?

651: the number of dogs who have played in the shade so far.

Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.

Wilbur is not the typical animal that benefits from a shelter play yard, but we turn no animal away and do our best to provide the highest quality of care possible. Wilbur is a baby potbellied pig who was feeling a little stressed in the livestock pen. We decided to provide some human interaction as enrichment for this little guy, and the shady outdoor run was the perfect place to do that. This extra enrichment let us learn more about Wilbur, including the fact that he loves belly-rubs, to help us make the perfect match with a forever family! ​