Southwest Ohio Doberman Rescue: Orvis Dog Enrichment Grant Report

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

The money that the Southwest Ohio Doberman Rescue received from the Orvis grant was used to start a Training Fund in conjunction with the newly forming Training Program. A separate fund, void of other rescue operational cost such as vet care, food, etc., was created in an effort to help dogs become more adoptable as well as keep dogs in homes that are at risk of being surrendered due to behavior issues.

They grant allowed Dobermans with special behavioral needs to receive vital training/behavior modification, much like dogs with special medical needs receiving vet care. This helped our organization by making them more adoptable and helping the adoptions to be more successful. Addressing behavior problems soon allows for faster placement into forever homes, which opens resource for other dogs in need.

How many pets did this grant help?

One dog received training through this grant.

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

The Orvis grant was used to help Hank through a board-and-train session. It seems that Hank was possibly a victim of poor puppy parenting. When came to our rescue, volunteers tried several times to introduce him to other dogs, without success. He was not outwardly aggressive, but just didn’t seem to understand proper doggy conduct. It’s possible that he was never properly socialized with other dogs, leaving him behind the curve. With funding through the Orvis Grant, we were able to send him to a board-and-train program where they worked on gradual introductions and socialization with other dogs. He’s still a work in progress, but we’re hopeful this training will make him more adoptable and increase his chances of finding a forever home. Meet Hank: https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/35051362