Tulsa SPCA: Orvis Dog Enrichment Grant Report

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

We used the Petfinder Foundation Orvis Animal Care grant to purchase the following: five wobbler dog toys, five food-cube dog toys, four rawhide dog treats, 13 snuffle feeding mats, five treat-dispensing toys, and 20 slow-feeder bowls,

We have used these enrichment items to keep the animals in our care mentally and physically active during their stay with us. Many of the dogs in our care were developing behavioral issues and, due to budget constraints, we did not have a variety of enrichment items. Thanks to the Petfinder Foundation Orvis Animal Care grant, we were able to greatly diversify our selection of enrichment items to prevent boredom and depression while the dogs waited for their forever homes.

How many pets did this grant help?

37 and counting!

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

Cesare (first photo) was a dog in our care who had a difficult time being adopted because he was a senior dog but had never been house trained. He was surrendered to us by a good Samaritan who’d found him wandering the streets but couldn’t keep him. Because Cesare was a larger dog, while he waited for his forever family, his adjustment to the shelter environment was not going well. He would howl and knock over his bed every time someone walked by him. Once we introduced him to our enrichment programs that included enrichment items from the Petfinder Foundation Orvis Animal Care grant (second photo), he turned a corner and we’re happy to report, has been adopted!