Wimberley Adoption Group and Rescue: Play Group Training Grant Report

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

Mentorship with Dogs Playing for Life at Austin Pets Alive! in Austin, TX.

I have been able to teach the other volunteers about grouping dog play styles, using tools for safety and molding behavior and the value of letting dogs interact with each other on a regular basis. We have seen dogs who were scared and reactive become well-balanced and happy, anxious each day to get in with others and play. Our larger-dog adoptions have increased and returns have diminished.

How many pets did this grant help?

So far.... 15-20

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

One of the biggest successes so far was a dog named Blue Boy. He came in resource-guarding and somewhat fear-aggressive towards other dogs. Over time, with one-to-one contact with proper types of dogs and eventually large playgroups, he gained confidence with dogs and people. Blue Boy is now securely in a new forever home!