Kent Animal Shelter: Senior Pet Adoption Assistance Grant Report

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

Thanks to the generosity of the Petfinder Foundation, eight dogs over the age of 4 were adopted and seven senior individuals (age 65 or older) were given reduced adoption fees, helping the shelter to place an additional seven dogs and cats, for a total of 15 pets placed in new homes.

How many pets did this grant help?

15

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

Toby (first photo) is the perfect example of a senior dog. A 6-year-old hound mix, he was rescued and transported to Kent Animal Shelter. Toby and another dog, McCoy, were seized from an owner in Mississippi who was using the dogs for hunting and would starve them for five days before he took them out so they would be hungry and perform better.

Toby was aged at 4 years by the rescue, but he was more accurately aged at 6 by our shelter veterinarian. As you know, a senior, large-breed dog is difficult to place in a forever home. Because of the grant, Kent was able to offer the adopter, who was also a senior at the age of 65, a greatly reduced adoption fee (second photo). The adopter then sent a donation to the shelter one month later because he was so happy with his new best buddy.

Thor (third photo) is a 7-year-old senior cat who had been at the shelter for more than six months. Thor was abandoned at the shelter in a cardboard box. Thor was adopted by a senior lady who lived alone and was thrilled to have a faithful companion.

Hoss (fourth photo) was recently adopted after being rescued in a rural area of Texas. Hoss was emaciated when he was picked up as a stray at the age of 4 (fifth photo). Unfortunately, he was dropped off at an overcrowded shelter where adoptions are few and far between.

Hoss, another large breed, was more difficult to place in a permanent home. Because of the grant, Hoss was was placed in a forever home (sixth photo) and a reduced adoption fee was offered as an incentive.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to the Petfinder Foundation for making it possible for us to assist in placing 15 animals in forever homes.