Arkansas Rescuing Unwanted Furry Friends: P.L.A.Y. Pet Beds Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
ARRUFF Rescue learned that our grant application had been approved, and we were to receive 10 Chill Pads from P.L.A.Y. (Pet Lifestyle And You, Inc.) and the Petfinder Foundation, in a program called the Warm Bellies Initiative.
We had seen pictures of them online, and read about them, but WOW! The 10 Chill Pads arrived very quickly, and they were just incredible! We received two of each size available -- XS, S, M, L and XL.
We chose our oldest foster dogs, many with hip and joint conditions, to try the Chill Pads out in their crates, or on the floor -- wherever each individual dog prefers to lie down. These precious dogs immediately fell in love with their new beds, and those who remain with us are lying on their Chill Pads as they watch me write :)
The foster dogs adore their Chill Pads, and yes, they do squabble over them :) However, the oldest foster dogs always have first pick. The youngsters try to steal them, of course, and get into a bit of trouble when they do so -- and not with their foster Mom!
During the summer months it is very hot and humid down here in the South. Normally the concrete floor seems to provide a cool place for the foster dogs to lie. This summer, they chose the Chill Pads instead! As cold weather approached, the Chill Pads seemed to provide needed warmth, and these foster dogs remained on their chosen pads!
We continue to use the Chill Pads in plastic crates, wire crates, and on the floor or carpet -- wherever each dog prefers to sleep. These pads are machine washable AND can be dried in the dryer! These have made life with foster dogs SO much easier in so many ways, laundry included! ARRUFF is so very grateful for this gracious donation, as 10 fewer of our fosters are sleeping on blankets, or on the concrete floor.
How many pets did this grant help?
The chill pads have helped 28 dogs so far, beginning on the day they arrived in July 2014, and will continue to help other precious lives throughout 2015.
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
One of our sweet foster dogs, Katie, is 10 years old and has been deaf since birth. A breeder realized she would bring no profit and dumped her at a local [open-admission] shelter to face death. ARRUFF rescued her when she was just a tiny baby. The joints in Katie’s knees and hips never fully developed as she grew older, and she underwent four separate surgeries to have her joints pinned. She has been in pain her entire life, but you could never tell by the love that she has to give.
The pictures (after the first) show several previous sleeping “arrangements” picked by Katie. In 2013, an orthopedic dog bed measuring 4.5′ L x 3.5′ W x 6″ H was donated especially for her, hoping to provide her some relief. She began sleeping solely on this bed.
However, once Katie was introduced to the Chill Pads, she tried out the different sizes, picked hers out, and now she will not sleep on anything else! Also, when she is another room, she will “remove” the other foster doggies from THEIR Chill Pads and lie on theirs too, LOL.
I measured the height of Katie’s Chill Pad at 2.5″ around the pillowed edges. She gets up more easily, lies down with less fussing and mussing her pad, and is able to circle around easier on her pad, adjusting her spine for her nap. Katie is just SO very proud to have her very own bed that NO other foster dogs will dare touch!
Katie prefers her pad to be placed in her own little area of the house, on the concrete floor. She LOVES it, and the other dogs know very well to keep their paws off of her pad!
Katie sleeps 16-20 hours a day due to her pain and the medication that she is taking. Her Chill Pad has made such a difference in her life — for the better!
Katie says “THANK YOU” — to P.L.A.Y., and to the Petfinder Foundation, for her beloved Chill Pad. She loves her velvety soft, cushiony Chill Pad so much, and so enjoys the comfort this pad provides.
ARRUFF sincerely thanks you for allowing us to learn about the Chill Pads as well. The design, as well as the recycled items that this pad utilizes, are so very unique and innovative — a truly remarkable product that most importantly eases the pain of our Katie.
