Crate Escape Rescue, Inc.: Orvis Dog Enrichment Grant Report

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

With the awarded grant money, we were able to put seven pups through basic/puppy training classes.

The seven pups in our organization were able to attend two months of basic training/ puppy training classes. These classes not only helped introduce basic skills and commands to pups coming directly out of the shelter, they gave each and every one of them a solid training and basic-skills foundation which they will take with them to their forever homes.

How many pets did this grant help?

7

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

Cannoli and Cream Puff were abandoned at a rural shelter in North Carolina as unwanted pups due to their unruly behavior. At just about 4 months old, they were really coming out of their shells and their behavior was progressing in the wrong direction. Fortunately, because they were still puppies, Cannoli and Cream Puff could easily turn that behavior around with the proper guidance.

They entered puppy class as crazy, unfocused puppies who had a minimal skill set. While they continue to attend puppy class, build their skills, and learn how to be good doggy citizens, both have come leaps and bounds since beginning the classes. They now know how to walk on a leash and obey basic commands and have mastered their house training. Overall they have become better with their manners and polished up their social skills with canines and humans in addition to mastering their basic puppy skills.

Both Cannoli and Cream Puff will now have a solid training foundation when they continue on to their forever homes. With basic training almost complete, this makes them a lot more attractive to potential adopters, and it will also make their transitions into their forever homes a lot less stressful on both pups and adoptive families.

Cannoli and Cream Puff could have easily become victims of being “returns” due to behavior issues, not only now but in the future. It was vital that these puppies received the proper guidance to help mold them into forever pups and to help them reach their full puppy potential before their issues escalated. We are extremely grateful that this duo was able to get the quality start to life they desperately needed.