Good Shepherd Humane Society, Inc: Orvis Dog Enrichment Grant Report

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

Half of the grant funds are being used for staff training (scheduled for the month of October -- a 4-week class with a trainer/behavior management issues). The other half is being used to purchase accoustic wall mats for the long dog runs.

Good Shepherd averages about 40 dogs in the shelter daily. Some of our dogs have been here a year. Although they get regular walks and exercise outside, the kennels can be noisy and uninviting to potential adopters. The training class will give all the staff and any of our dog volunteers who want to participate a basic level training to handle large and small dogs, plus help us all be "on the same page" in dealing with dogs who are experiencing stress or other difficulties. rn The accoustic mats will help decrease the noise from the dogs barking. We have two long runs perpendicular to each other. The structure is concrete block, so the noise just reverberates. If we can reduce the noise volume with the mats, the dogs will be calmer, and then potential adopters will be better able to talk with the animals and with staff in a friendlier environment.

How many pets did this grant help?

approximately 40

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

Molly and Sarah have been with Good Shepherd for over a year. They are sisters and have never been apart. The staff training will help us build on our work to help the girls deal with kennel stress. Also, both dogs get quite agitated when the other dogs start barking, and the accoustic mats to lower noise levels will help keep them calmer.