Nebraska Humane Society: COVID-19 Operation Grant Report

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

The $1,000 grant was used toward the revenue gap during fee-reduced pet adoptions this spring. (Adoption revenue helps us pay for medical treatments.)

The Petfinder Foundation grant helped us pay for critical pre-adoption medical treatments, necessary for cats and dogs to be adoptable, during reduced-fee adoptions this spring. This was especially appreciated with the COVID-19 pandemic and disruptions to revenue streams, as many of our revenue-generating programs ceased (in compliance with state-directed health measures).

The reduced-fee adoptions were part of our strategy to get as many pets adopted as possible. This helped the pets and Nebraska Humane Society (NHS), with fewer animals in the facility for staff and volunteers to care for. Another strategy we are using is an expanded foster-care program, with many new households responding to NHS’s request for emergency foster homes to help during the pandemic.

Any time we can safely place a pet in a foster home or facilitate adoption, we are aiding the pet by removing it from the stress of an animal shelter, where the overwhelming sights, smells, sounds can lead to behavioral deterioration, making adoption more difficult.

How many pets did this grant help?

15 cats and four dogs

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

Nala, a young (one year and 10 months old) setter/Lab mix, came to NHS as a very underweight stray. This beautiful dog received medical treatments (spay, vaccinations), food, shelter and love while at NHS. One of our new emergency foster families agreed to help Nala with a temporary home. In less than a week, Nala had won over the family and they formally adopted her. She is pictured with her loving new family. The Petfinder Foundation helped Nala and NHS with its generous grant, and we are very grateful!