Arizona Humane Society: KONG Toys Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
Arizona Humane Society used the Kong product grant to provide dogs going through our behavior-modification with extra kennel enrichment. As we wash and reuse these toys, they are a staple of our new kennel enrichment program and will continue to benefits dogs.
As AHS works to launch its kennel-enrichment program, this grant helped us get the program off to a good start by providing those dogs most in need of extra in-kennel stimulation with a Kong toy. The stimulation provided by Kong toys deeply aligns with our behavior-modification team’s goals to save the lives of dogs facing a challenging rehabilitation path by creating stimulating, stress-reducing kennel experiences while working with each dog to build the best possible opportunity and outcome from a shelter environment. As a result, AHS’s behavior team highly recommends Kong toys to adopters and participants in our behavior training courses all of the time. We love to demonstrate to dog owners in our community how Kong toys can provide additional support as they work to train their dogs.
How many pets did this grant help?
AHS received 34 Kong toys, which are currently all in use by dogs who need a little more work on their behavior before they can be placed for adoption. Given that we can wash and reuse these Kong toys, this grant will continue to help shelter dogs in the coming year, and we suspect that over the course of the year it will help provide kennel enrichment to hundreds of shelter dogs going through our behavior-modification program.
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
Bodhi, a white pit bull mix, is a very active puppy in our behavior-modification program. Our behavior team has been working with him on some basic manners and impulse control. He is beginning to respond to, and is willing to work for, treats but he has a ways to go until he is completes his behavior program. While working through his behavior treatment plan, Bodhi came down with kennel cough. The Petfinder Foundation’s Kong product grant arrived at the right moment and has been a life-saver for Bodhi as he recovers in his isolation kennel. In the photo, you’ll see Bodhi enjoying a black Kong kennel enrichment toy as he recovers and finishes his medical and behavior treatment before being placed for adoption.
When he is not working on his manners and control, a high-energy pup like Bodhi needs things to occupy his time while he’s hanging out in his kennel. The variety of Kong toys that were donated by the Petfinder Foundation have helped provide Bodhi and many other AHS behavior dogs with engaging and enriching activities that reduce kennel stress. Thank you, Petfinder Foundation!
