Tri-County Humane Society (DBA Tri-County Animal Rescue): Senior Pet Adoption Assistance Grant Report

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

Grant funds were used to treat our senior rat-terrier mix Minnie's behavioral issues. We spent quite a bit of the grant on a trainer who worked extensively with her. The funds were also used to waive her adoption fee and provide her forever family with heartworm and flea and tick prevention.

This grant 100% changed the life of one of our very sad pups. Minnie's history is absolutely heartbreaking. Minnie, a rat-terrier mix, was rescued by Tri-County along with eight other dogs over two years ago from a horrendous hoarding situation in Athens, GA. They were living in the most deplorable conditions imaginable. The eight dogs she arrived with were adopted quite quickly, but Minnie remained. There were two issues that made finding a forever home for her challenging: Minnie came to us a senior, and she was consumed with fear.

It was an incredible experience to see Minnie's transformation after working with a trainer. She still has trust issues, but working one-on-one with a professional made a huge difference. It helped turn a dog who we once feared was unadoptable into a pet with a shot at a second chance. Thanks to your generosity, all of us at the shelter have a renewed sense of hope, because on April 20, 2019, Minnie left our shelter in the loving arms of her forever family.

And she wasn't the only dog who benefited from your generous grant: Minnie's adoption opened up an additional kennel and I am pleased to report that since April 20, 2019, nine other dogs have been placed in Minnie's old kennel and eight of them have found forever homes.

How many pets did this grant help?

9

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

Our beloved Minnie, a senior rat-terrier mix, had spent the first 10 years of her life living in the most deplorable conditions imaginable. Prior to Tri-County rescuing her over two years ago, she lived her life in a heartbreaking hoarding situation. Minnie arrived at our shelter consumed with fear, and no matter how much love we lavished on her, shelter life was incredibly stressful for her. Despair was written all over Minnie’s face; life had disappointed her. We knew that she was desperate to form a connection, but she was paralyzed with fear. Staff and volunteers could barely make physical contact with her. She’d growl sometimes, but never showed aggression. It was hard to look into Minnie’s eyes, because they were filled with such a deep longing. Minnie needed someone to become her “person.”

We frequently highlighted her on social media, but truth be told, while we NEVER give up on any one of our animals, given Minnie’s age and issues, we were beginning to lose hope that she would ever experience the feeling of being in a secure home filled with love. Your grant helped change all of that. The moment we had the funds in-hand, we hired an animal behaviorist/trainer and he began working with her one-on-one. The transformation was pretty astounding. On April 20, 2019 — two long years after her arrival — Minnie left our shelter in the loving arms of her forever family.

Since that time, nine other dogs have been saved thanks to that open kennel space, and thus far, eight of them have been adopted. But this grant didn’t just help our beloved dogs — it gave the entire staff at Tri-County (as well as our volunteers and loyal followers) a much-needed boost in morale. Minnie’s adoption reminded us all that it’s never too late for a dog to experience happily ever after. Minnie’s adoption further strengthened our mission to rescue, rehabilitate and re-home abused, neglected and homeless dogs and cats.