New Leash on Life USA: KONG Toys Grant Report

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

The Kongs were used as enrichment items for our at-risk adoptable dogs, the Kongs help our dogs decompress and destress as they heal and acclimate to their new environment. Having a stuffed Kong in their crate during downtime also helps our dogs learn positive associations with their crates, which makes them more adoptable companions.

The gift of Kong toys helped our dogs learn to self soothe and chew on appropriate items during their training program. Having Kongs to utilize also means that we don’t have to worry about our dogs getting hurt with less-durable toys or chews.

How many pets did this grant help?

We had five adoptable dogs this session who benefited from the Kong donation, and they will continue to benefit our next class of six as well.

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

Penny had been returned twice to the shelter before we pulled her this past year. She had a hard time adjusting and was scared of her crate initially. To help make it a safe and comfortable place for her, we used Kongs stuffed with her favorite treats. Penny quickly adapted and stopped behaving fearfully and has been adopted into a wonderful forever home. While we cannot take pictures inside of the prison cells, photos of Penny with her handler in prison and with her new family are at right.