Fast Friends: P.L.A.Y. Pet Beds Grant Report

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

We are so grateful to the Petfinder Foundation for awarding us 10 soft, cozy beds for the dogs waiting for adoption!

Fast Friends specializes in finding homes for retired racing greyhounds and other sighthounds (breeds related to greyhounds) from around the world. Many of these dogs come from desperate situations, having been abused or abandoned. They are rescued from the street or the countryside, or pulled from overcrowded municipal shelters. The greyhounds have spent their lives in the racing industry, from training kennels to the track. Almost none of these dogs has ever had a bed of their own.

Beds provide both much-needed physical comfort for dogs like greyhounds who have very little body fat, and are uncomfortable if they don't have somewhere soft to lie down. We have had several dogs come to us with deep pressure sores requiring multiple surgeries from not being given adequate bedding. All of our dogs have raised beds and blankets, and the addition of a cushy bed ensures their comfort and health.

Going beyond their physical needs, good beds help meet the emotional needs of the dogs in our care. It is our policy to never disturb a dog on their bed, so it becomes a safe space that is theirs alone. For dogs who have had to sleep with one eye open, this is a huge change and an important step in getting ready for adoption.

How many pets did this grant help?

10

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

Soul is one of the dogs who benefits most from having a safe space to call her own. She is a Portuguese Podengo who was found by a rescue in a municipal shelter in Lisbon. Soul is by nature very shy, even with staff that she knows well, and we can only imagine how difficult the changes in her life have been for her. But Soul knows that when she is on her bed, she can take all the time she needs to assess a new person or situation. Just look at her eyes in the photos — she is clearly so much more secure when she is on her bed.

Soul hasn’t found her special person yet, but we hope it won’t be long. She loves other dogs, so a patient adopter with a confident dog could make all the difference for her.

Soul is still available for adoption: You can meet her here.