Columbia County Humane Society: Orvis Dog Enrichment Grant Report

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

The Orvis Dog Enrichment Grant helped provide enrichment toys for the dogs in our care. We were able to purchase five flirt poles, 10 large Kong Wobblers, five small Kong Wobblers and a set of four agility jumps.

These enrichment tools will help to aid volunteers and staff in their interactions with the dogs to provide mental stimulation and exercise to dogs at the shelter. We are so happy to have these enrichment tools.

How many pets did this grant help?

We average around 400 dogs per year at CCHS

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

Otis, an English coonhound (first photo), came to CCHS from another rescue where he’d arrived as a stray.

He was thin and in need of some TLC. Otis ate his food very fast when he arrived and we utilized the Kong Wobblers to slow his feeding down and give him some mental stimulation (second and third photos). He loves them!

Otis also loves to play with the flirt poles (photos four through six). They really help him burn energy and interact with volunteers and staff.

He is still waiting for a home and has been since October 2022. You can meet Otis here.

Tika, a black-and-white American pit bull terrier mix, arrived at CCHS as a transfer from another shelter. She was timid and took time to trust people. When we introduced her to the agility jumps and used a treat as a lure, her personality blossomed and she learned how to jump in a matter of seconds (photos seven and eight). Tika has been adopted by a wonderful family!

Brownie, an Akita, arrived at CCHS as a transfer from another local shelter. She became bored with shelter life quite quickly and waited for a home longer than expected. The Kong Wobbler was a hit with her (last photo)! She loved working for her food and it gave her focus and provided much-needed enrichment. Brownie has since been adopted.