Friends For Life: KONG Toys Grant Report

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

The KONGs were used as foraging toys for the dogs and cats in our programs.

Foraging toys help us fulfill the dogs' and cats' enrichment needs (mental stimulation) while they are living at the shelter or in a foster home. One of the dogs, Julio, who struggles to get adopted due to his high enrichment needs, eats exclusively out of KONGs.

There are currently 11 dogs and about 85 cats living at the shelter, who receive daily enrichment. Some KONGs have also been distributed to fosters and adopters.

How many pets did this grant help?

As of Dec. 20, 2018, the KONGs have been used by about 50 animals. Because the KONGs can be used again and again, this number will continue to grow over time.

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

Julio (first photo) is a dog who needs to be mentally stimulated or he will find less-than-desirable activities to satisfy his needs. By putting his meals in KONGs, we are able to fulfill his needs without much additional time or effort. This is extremely important to us, as shelter workers are always short on time.

Riley (second photo) is a dog who also has high enrichment needs. She had been in the program for months and was struggling to find her perfect fit. She also eats her meals out of KONGs and, just last week, she successfully found her forever home. Thank you, Petfinder Foundation!