Kokomo Humane Society: Dog Field Trip/Short-Term Fostering Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
The money was used to purchase leashes, collars, and gentle leaders to use for Dog Day Out adventures.
This grant helped as it gave us the ability to purchase equipment that we needed for the program. Having martingale collars and matching leashes gives the program a professional look and makes the animals more adoptable. Being able to provide gentle leaders for dogs who pull more makes it easer for people to walk them and gives more dogs the opportunity to participate.
How many pets did this grant help?
At least 50 dogs so far, but this will continue to increase as we can use the leashes and collars over and over.
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
Betsy Altic brought two of her children to take a dog out for a Dog Day Out. They were not looking to adopt, just looking for a fun summer activity. Betsy simply asked for a dog who would be good with her 8- and 10-year-old kids. They were assigned Cooper (first three photos). They spent the day together, and even walked Cooper to the grandparents’ house for a visit. By the end of the day, they were in love. They came back the next day and adopted Cooper, and it has turned out to be a perfect fit.
When I started volunteering at the Kokomo Humane Society, I walked dogs. Since there are dogs who do not get along with other dogs, they need to be walked separately and do not participate in play groups. At one point, most of the dogs needing to be walked were hard pulls or JAM dogs. I was not comfortable walking those dogs. So, I decided to do laundry and dishes.
However, I was still able to see and hear all the dogs who came in abused and neglected. My heart broke for the animals. I was becoming depressed and at first did not know why. Then it occurred to me, I was always blue after I had worked at the shelter. With a heavy heart, I told the volunteer coordinator I was not able to go to the facility any longer. It was taking its toll on me emotionally.
I could not stop thinking of all the dogs stuck in the shelter day after day. So, I decided to be a part of the “Dog Day Out” program. I did it so well that my “day” could be anywhere from a week to adoption day. Once I got them to my house, I tried to keep them until they got adopted. I also liked to bring dogs that had just been fixed. I wanted to offer them a place to rest quietly while they recovered.
The last dog I brought home would change all my plans. We fell in love when we saw how smart and good she was and decided to give Tipi her forever home (last photo).
I would highly recommend people participating in the Dog Day Out program. It is a great way to help the dogs by getting them out for a while and, you never know, you just might find a keeper!–Deb Tipton
