NorCal German Shorthaired Pointer Rescue, Inc.: Grant Report

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

This grant provided starter kits for adopters who adopted a dog age 5 or older as part of our concerted effort to make adult and senior dogs more attractive to potential adopters. The starter kit consisted of a $100 Petco gift card -- since we are a foster-based rescue over a wide geographic area, the gift card made it efficient to administer -- and the adopter was able to select the particular items and supplies needed for their new family member.

By publicizing these starter kits on each eligible dog’s website description, Petfinder listing, and social media posts, we were able to draw more attention to the older dogs who are often overlooked, as well as provide an incentive for adoption. Because older dogs can have more extensive needs than younger dogs, the starter kit helps offset some of the initial expenses for the adopter. By featuring the grant and the starter kits repeatedly on social media, in some cases with boosted posts, we were able to show the available dogs to a wider audience of potential adopters on multiple occasions.

How many pets did this grant help?

This grant helped 10 dogs!

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

We are delighted to showcase Finnigan! After finding himself in the slammer with no one coming to reclaim him, Finnigan’s luck changed for the better when he came into foster care with NorCal GSP Rescue. This 9-year-old male quickly learned that living indoors was fabulous: regular meals, hanging out on the couch, toys and how to play with them, and that people were really happy when he figured out the doggie door. But many months went by without much adopter interest. Then, taking what we learned at Adoption Options, we got better photos of him, spruced up his description, and publicized his adoption starter kit. Finally, applications came in for him. And just in time for Christmas, his new family took him home! Now Finnigan gets to do all the things he loves the most: hiking, camping, car rides, and snuggling on the sofa. What a happy ending for this senior boy!