Elk County Humane Society: P.L.A.Y. Pet Beds Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
The P.L.A.Y. beds were used in kennels with certain dogs who either were afraid to use the Kuranda beds or couldn't have them due to chewing them. And they worked great! We would put a blanket over the top to help prevent them from getting chewed on or dirty and the dogs seemed to love it. We have actually sent two home with the dogs who would only lie on the P.L.A.Y. beds.
It helped us by creating a kennel space more like a home environment than a shelter. Most dogs at home will have a dog bed or two to lie on, so it helped ease that transition from shelter to home. It also gave them a much more temperature-controlled bed: Our heat is through the floor, so in the winter, it helped them keep a more regular body temperature.
How many pets did this grant help?
8
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
Pictured is a dog named Kingsley. Kingsley was a very scared fella who never really knew people could be super awesome! He did not lie on the Kuranda bed we had in his cage, so we took that out and used one of the P.L.A.Y. beds with a nice blanket underneath. He loved it! It became his safe space and traveled with him to his forever home.
From Facebook: “Say hello to Kingsley, a 5-year-old Lab/retriever/pit mix who was found as a stray in South Carolina and is now available for adoption. Since he was a stray, he is just now learning the world isn’t a big, bad, scary place like he once thought. As a result, he is very shy when he first meets someone new, but once he gets to know you, he is the biggest cuddle bug you will ever meet. Along with being shy, Kingsley is also frightened by loud noises and, honestly, anything he hasn’t come into contact with before; because of this, he will need someone who can be patient and loving towards him while he learns to trust them and become comfortable in their home and with them.
“Kingsley loves going for walks in the woods; he really comes to life with his head up high and tail wagging whenever he gets onto one of the paths around the shelter, cheese of any kind, stuffed toys that squeak, and his soft, comfy bed and/or a couch. He also feels very safe in his kennel. Because of this, we would recommend having a safe place, like a crate or place to hide, set up in your home for him so whenever he feels overly stressed or anxious, he has a place he can go to calm down. Kingsley does great with other dogs that are his size or bigger and kids, but he doesn’t do well with cats or small dogs.”
