Dane County Humane Society: Kia Pet Adoption Grant Report

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

The Kia Pet Adoption Grant allowed Dane County Humane Society (DCHS) to reduce adoption fees for 44 animals in our Lonely Hearts Club.

DCHS has an adoption guarantee, so adoptable animals can stay with us for as long as it takes to find their new homes. For pets who take longer to be adopted, we have the Lonely Hearts Club. Pets in the Lonely Hearts Club get a little extra support, which could include discounted dog training classes, specialized social media campaigns, and reduced adoption fees.

Our adoption fees cover the cost of various services, such as spay/neuter surgery, essential vaccinations, flea and tick treatments, microchips, heartworm tests for adult dogs, and additional veterinary care as needed. Because of the grant funds, we were able to perform these essential services for Lovely Hearts Club animals, while also lowering adoption fees to make it easier for adopters to take them home.

How many pets did this grant help?

44

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

When Gizmo, a senior Chihuahua mix, arrived at DCHS as a stray, she was very nervous and quite particular about who could interact with her. Our shelter veterinarians soon determined she has a heart murmur, needed some teeth extracted, and has luxating patellas, meaning her kneecaps do not stay in their normal positions, resulting in an abnormal gait.

We were able to manage her medical concerns and move her into a foster home where she could be more comfortable, but we knew she’d need a special home to accommodate her unique needs.

Thanks to the 2022 Kia Pet Adoption Grant from the Petfinder Foundation, we decreased her adoption fee to make it easier for her future adopter to take her home. That adopter finally found her and has since renamed her Yzma.

“Bringing her home was at first a scary experience for both of us,” he says. “I wasn’t sure of her background, but it was clear that it would take extra care and patience to earn her trust.

“In recent weeks, Yzma has been able to come out of her shell, almost seeming like a completely different dog. She loves cuddling with me and my roommate wherever we go, is playful with lots of youthful energy despite being an older dog, and is even open to meeting friends and strangers who come over for the first time.”

With a little extra time and support from this grant, Yzma found a great new family to call her own!