PAWS Atlanta, Inc.: Capital Improvement Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
In July, PAWS Atlanta received a Capital Improvement Grant from the Petfinder Foundation in the amount of $8,300 to repair and reseal the concrete floor in our large-dog area. We are incredibly grateful for this wonderful grant to our organization. Thank you!
The area that was improved includes 18 large-dog runs that are 36 square feet each. The total area is 1,196 square feet. At any given time, we have 18 dogs in this area and there is never an empty kennel. Our dogs typically spend the day in their outdoor runs or play areas and are only brought indoors when the weather is too cold or too hot to stay outside (as regulated by the Department of Agriculture).
While funding was received in July, our project had to be put on hold until the fall, when temperatures were conducive to our dogs to spending time outdoors without getting too warm. We also had a slight delay in setting up a company to assist us in sealing the floors because of the ongoing labor shortage felt throughout the country (an extension was given to PAWS Atlanta on Sept. 13, 2021, for a new grant report due date of Feb. 25, 2022).
We worked with a local company, New South Construction Company, to do the resurfacing work. Over the course of one week, they completed the project. The total invoiced by New South Construction Company was $10,542.80 (available upon request). Once they were done with their portion of the project, our staff reinstalled the kennels. We were excited to move our large pups back into the space on Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021, after the project was completed.
We have a series of videos (before, during, and after) of our project at: https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJNcZ0HLIeQFrY-EJYEI_F9ujVyqXfDvS. Please feel free to use these videos for the foundation.
This project was important for our organization because it has allowed us to reseal the floors and create a sterile, non-porous surface that our staff can easily disinfect and keep clean for our large dogs. This is particularly important because we need a surface that is durable enough to withstand many, repeated cleanings.
Sanitation — along with providing a lot of love — is a top priority at PAWS Atlanta. It helps us with disease prevention and maintaining the health of our animals at the shelter. This grant has allowed us to do just that and to clean more efficiently. It has also allowed our organization to continue to meet important Department of Agriculture standards. Most importantly, it assists us in meeting one of our most important goals: to make our dogs happier and healthier during their time with us.
This was an important capital project we needed to do, and having the funds to repair and resurface the floor made a huge difference, especially as we continue to deal with the fallout of the pandemic. We are incredibly grateful for this support and for your generosity!
How many pets did this grant help?
There are 18 kennels within our large-dog area that were resurfaced. We estimate that over the course of a year, approximately 100 large dogs will benefit from this project.
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
Cora came to PAWS Atlanta from our rescue friends at DeKalb Animal Services. She was valedictorian of her class at UFTB (University of Fetch That Ball!) and she’s never met a tennis ball she didn’t fancy. At 3 years old, she’s athletic, smart and a quick study.
Cora is available for adoption and needs to go to an adult home. We’re not sure about other dogs, but she did raise a litter of puppies and was a good momma to them.
We’d love to see Cora end up with someone who will work with her so she can thrive. We believe she would love to have a human who might be up for joining a training class or maybe a dog-agility program, where she could really show off her skills. She’s very focused and energetic, and we can see her doing scent-training or running through an agility course. Cora is enjoying her new home in the large-dog area thanks to the Petfinder Foundation!
