Humane Society of Delaware County: Orvis Dog Enrichment Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
We used the money to purchase a dog grooming tub. We had two old tubs at the shelter that were tall and cumbersome for our caretakers to get dogs into. It required them to lift the dogs into the tub; there were no ramps or sides that moved. It was sometimes difficult, due to the dogs' weight and temperament, to get them into these for bathing. We also didn't have spray nozzles that could be used to spray them so we ended up using buckets of water to rinse them off.
The new bathtub we purchased has a ramp for dogs to walk up and a side panel that can be removed for them to get in and out. This will enable us to bathe every dog before he or she is given surgery or put on the adoption floor. We find that dogs who are bathed and groomed before they are put up for adoption are usually adopted quicker than dogs who we weren't able to do that for. It is also wonderful when a dog comes in that is not in good shape hygienically for us to be able to bathe that animal and make him feel better in addition to looking better. We can also use this tub for cats in the event that we have to bathe one or if he needs to be lyme-dipped for mange. This tub helps our caretakers not have to lift a heavy, unhappy animal into the tub -- it's just an easier experience all the way around.
How many pets did this grant help?
We expect this grant to help every dog in our facility (currently we have 22) and the tub will be continuously used going forward.
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
The tub will make it easier to bathe large dogs like Blossom (pictured). We currently have another large dog in our care named Ruben. He is a 169-lb. Great Pyrenees whom we are holding in a hoarding/cruelty case. Ruben has not been bathed or groomed in what appears to be a very long time. Prior to us getting this tub, there was no easy way for us to take care of his needs. This tub will enable us to easily bathe dogs like Ruben as well as nervous dogs who don’t want to be picked up.
