Whitman County Humane Society: KONG Toys Grant Report

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

The KONG grant was used for enrichment of both our dogs and cats.

It improved (and continues to improve) the quality of our pets' stays by providing mental stimulation with a fun way to receive food and treats.

How many pets did this grant help?

10 and counting!

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

Franklin, our 1.5-year-old black Lab (first photo), has been adopted. As you can see from the photo, he quite enjoyed his KONG toys. Like most young black Labs, Franklin really needed a lot of physical and mental stimulation. With the KONG grant, we were able to feed him all of his food in KONGs (as he also gobbled food down quickly) and give him lots of toy options.

Kismet (second photo) is our long-term resident. She has been deemed “dangerous” in the state of Washington due to her reactivity towards other dogs. However, she is the absolute sweetest. Because she has been a shelter guest for so long, she’s been getting more anxious and stir-crazy. With the help of the KONG grant, she’s able to focus her energy on something other than her anxiety. Since the KONG grant, we’ve seen a significant decrease in her anxious tendencies, such as over-grooming. Meet Kismet: www.petfinder.com/petdetail/36735499.

Nicholas (third photo) is another long-term resident, as he is FIV-positive. Nicholas LOVES food and tends to chow down quickly, with a subsequent upset tummy from eating so quickly. Cats also need proper mental stimulation, so using the small KONGs, we were able to kill two birds with one stone and feed Nicholas his food in a KONG. Nicholas absolutely loves batting around the KONG and chasing the food bits as they fly out. Meet Nicholas: www.petfinder.com/petdetail/36896497