All Breed Rescue & Training: All-Star Dog Rescue Celebration Grant Report

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

The money was for our foster-dog training program. We have specifically been working with three of our harder cases: Squirt, Gessica, and Shane. Squirt and Gessica both have impulse-control and reactivity issues. Squirt is a wonderful sweet heeler mix who likes to bark at new people and vehicles. Gessica is goofy APBT mix who is very unsure of other dogs and doesn't know her size (tending to run over people when she greets them). Shane is a deer hound mix who is scared of his own shadow and barks at a leaf swirling on the ground, but who would rather curl his long lanky frame into a cushy chair with you for reassurance than go check out the leaf.

The funds from this have helped us utilize training staff that normally are helping outside clients (to bring in support) in order to work with these three dogs. Over the last few months, they have all shown marked improvement in the negative behaviors that had prevented them from being ready for adoption.

How many pets did this grant help?

We have specifically helped three at this point and have plans for several others.

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

Squirt (pictured) can now wait patiently at a door when in the past he would bark and scratch to be let out. His barking behaviors have lessened to the point that he is almost ready for his forever home. He has successfully met new people without the barking, and while vehicles that are moving are still concerning to him, he is not so vocal. He is a much calmer and more confident dog. These funds have allowed us to dedicate more experienced staff to his particular case, and his improvement is joyful to see. We know that he will find a forever home because he will show better to the general public and not just be a barking “hot mess.”