Fayette Humane Society: Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
Fayette Humane Society used the 2019 Nestle Purina New Year, New Home Pet Adoption Grant from the Petfinder Foundation to offer discounted and waived adoption fees for felines. The grant subsidized adoption fees for 16 bonded kitten pairs (and one trio!), as well as reduced fees for seven singles, including older kittens and cats who had been with Fayette Humane Society for a long time and were being overlooked. We were able to waive adoption fees entirely in three cases, with another waived fee pending for a special-needs cat who is on trial with a potential adopter. There are additionally two more pending bonded pairs for whom Fayette Humane Society is offering reduced adoption fees. In total, Fayette Humane Society will have been able to adopt out 28 kittens/cats at reduced costs to adopters thanks to this grant.
While the reduced fees are enticing to potential adopters, families must of course still fill out an application and agree to comply with all aspects of the adoption contract, which helps assure that discounted/free pets are not impulsive decisions. Once a family has been approved to adopt, the discounted fee allows them to save money for future vet visits and/or toys and treats to spoil their new pet!
The 2019 Nestle Purina New Year, New Home Pet Adoption Grant from the Petfinder Foundation helped both Fayette Humane Society and the pets in its care. We always encourage potential adopters to consider getting two kittens at the same time for a variety of reasons. Not only is it healthier for the kittens to have a constant playmate to keep them physically active and emotionally stimulated, but kittens keep each other occupied, which prevents boredom and, consequently, behavioral issues that often result in animals getting returned.
The grant also helped some of our older kittens and cats who had been with us for a while find their forever families. While they are, of course, loved by their foster families, they deserved their own homes where they could thrive as a cherished member of the family.
This also helped the overall morale of the organization, as volunteers were encouraged to see these adoptions and felt reinvigorated by the happy endings. The morale boost helps us continue our mission to save new kittens who come to take the places of those who were adopted.
How many pets did this grant help?
28
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
Wilbur and Templeton (first photo, middle row) were originally with Fayette Humane Society as newborns. A foster volunteer bottle-fed and raised them until they were adopted in January. Unfortunately, the adoptive family’s circumstances changed soon after that when their new owner took a job overseas and would not be able to bring the boys with her. She surrendered Wilbur and Templeton in March, and there was not a dry eye in the house. She was devastated to not be able to keep them, and the volunteers were distraught at seeing the brothers confused and stressed by the upheaval. Because of this grant, Fayette Humane Society was able to offer bonded pairs a discounted adoption fee, and it did not take long until a new family fell in love with their sweet demeanor and beautiful coloring and quickly made the decision to adopt Wilbur and Templeton together!
