Humane Society Calumet Area: KONG Toys Grant Report

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

The Kongs were used as part of our enrichment program for shelter dogs. The dogs in our care receive Kongs, toys, aromatherapy and positive-reinforcement training every day.

The shelter is a stressful environment for the animals being housed with us temporarily. Enrichment is so important to us and to the lives of all animals at HSCA. By receiving the grant of Kong toys, we were able to ensure that each dog had enrichment daily during their stay.

How many pets did this grant help?

The Kongs continue to help dogs in our care on a daily basis!

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

Fruit Loop is a young heartworm-positive pitbull that was brought to the humane society as a stray. He received little training before arriving at our shelter and has lots of energy to use; however, because of his heartworm-positive status, it is imperative that he stay as quiet as possible while we treat him. Daily KONGs keep him happy and quiet in his kennel — he has learned to sit and down for his KONG. Without KONGs, Fruit Loop would not receive the kind of enrichment that he needs to stay on the road to recovery.

Autumn is an adult pitbull that has been at the shelter since November. Due to some ongoing, unexplained lameness in her hind legs, she is restricted to leash walks and limited time outside. KONGs have given her something to do and she looks forward to her daily KONG time to settle down for a frozen treat.

Lucina has been passed up for adoption time and time again; she is a lovely dog and a staff favorite, but due to her fence jumping, she is unable to participate in playgroups each morning. She loves to spend time in an office with a stuffed KONG to help pass the time after her morning walk! Without KONGs, she wouldn’t be able to tolerate the stress of living in a shelter for the last nine months.