Animal Protective Association of Missouri: Orvis Dog Enrichment Grant Report

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

We put the $1,000 Orvis Operational Grant toward our Pet Transfer Program.

This money helped us fund the Pet Transfer Program, a fledgling but successful program that helps us save lives in shelters by transferring animals from high-risk facilities into our own shelter, where we have a great adoption rate and the resources necessary to care for the animals. It also helped our young program establish credibility by donating the first grant funds toward it. Thank you!

How many pets did this grant help?

This grant assisted 61 pets.

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

Sailor came to the Animal Protective Association this spring as a transferred pup from our friends at Saint Louis County Animal Care and Control, where she had been living since October of last year. While she had charmed every staff member and volunteer there, she was having a tough time finding her permanent home. When we brought Sailor to the APA through the Pet Transfer Program, she quickly demonstrated to us what made her a favorite at her previous shelter. Funny, quirky and sweet, this delightful pit bull endeared herself not only to the staff but also to everyone who met her — and that was A LOT of people.

This 3-year-old’s laid-back and easy-to-please attitude made her a pleasure to take on mobile adoption events. She attended Sunday brunch fundraisers and corporate PetCare Pride Day events. She strutted her stuff on TV as Pet of the Week and met celebrity ballplayers at Busch Stadium [she’s pictured at right with St. Louis Cardinals’ infielder Matt Carpenter]. We featured her photo on Facebook and Instagram. Needless to say, Sailor got plenty of attention.

People from both the county shelter and the APA loved this pup dearly and often checked in to see how she was doing. We were always happy to tell them that Sailor was in good spirits and doing fine, but we had to report back that she was still waiting to find her home … until just a few weeks ago.

One Saturday last month, a very nice couple came to the APA looking for their new pet. They were curious about a couple of dogs but also wanted a recommendation from staff members. Once the man told us he “just had a thing for white dogs,” our adoption counselor Stacey recommended Sailor.

APA Animal Care Technician Shelby assisted during the initial get-acquainted meeting and remembers that the woman never stopped smiling as Sailor turned on the charm during the visit. They didn’t ask to visit with any other dogs after Sailor. They didn’t need to; they knew right away she was their new pup.

“I never imagined that this would be the dog for me,” Sailor’s new mom told Stacey as she smiled through the adoption process. A huge cheer went out through the building as we took photos and said goodbye to our friend Sailor. Of course, this was front-page news for all of Sailor’s admirers. We immediately posted her new family photo to Facebook and shared the news with County Animal Care and Control. What a hit she was! More than 1150 people liked, commented and shared her success story, thrilled by the great family Sailor finally found after nine months of shelter life.

Last week, Sailor’s parents reported that she’s loving her new home. Her mom said her tail never stops wagging and that she does great with her new friends at the dog park. We couldn’t be happier to hear that this lovable girl is enjoying the life she was meant to have.

Thanks to the Orvis Operational Grant we received, Sailor received the additional time and care she needed to find her perfect family. Because of this gift, the Pet Transfer Program offers second chances to animals who need it most. Thank you for helping us help dogs like Sailor!