Hill Country SPCA: Orvis Dog Enrichment Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
The Orvis Dog Enrichment Grant allowed us to purchase much-needed enrichment equipment, including toys, treats, puzzle bowls, food-dispenser toys, licky mats, and many more items that will allow us to enrich the lives of the many dogs who will come through our shelter this year.
We wanted to be able to work with our dogs one-on-one outside their kennels, giving them a break from the high-stress, and often noisy, environment. This grant has allowed us to purchase a multitude of toys, treats, and other rewards to make their stay easier, and allow us to get them some much-needed training to prepare them for adoption.
How many pets did this grant help?
We currently have 50 dogs in care, but this grant has the potential to help more than 300 dogs throughout the year.
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
Hendrix (first photo) has been with us for eight very long months. This sweet boy needs placement as an only pet, which, combined with his breed, means he will likely be with us for some time before a home can be found.
Since he can’t go out in group play, his stay with us is even more stressful, with few to no outlets for his energy. Upon receipt of the Orvis grant, we were able to get all types of toys, and Hendrix has picked a suction ball (second photo) as his absolute favorite — though he doesn’t love the suction as much as he enjoys tossing it around and playing tug (third photo).
In the short time we have been able to work with him and provide more enrichment, we have seen major improvements in his behavior and overall stress levels. While he has not yet been adopted, we have high hopes that the perfect home is right around the corner! Until then, we are all so thankful to have the tools and treats to continue working with him.
