Humane Society/SPCA of Sumter County, Inc., dba/YOUR Humane Society SPCA: Dog Field Trip/Short-Term Fostering Grant Report

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

Thank you to the Petfinder Foundation for awarding YOUR Humane Society SPCA a 2022 Dog Field Trips Grant! We have been using the proceeds to safely transport adoptable dogs on their "Doggy Day Out" field trips.

These trips off-campus allow dogs such as our lovely models here, Amelia, Nico and Stevie Rae, a fun and enriching respite from shelter life while engaging with their short-term foster caregivers in local parks, pet-friendly restaurants, and stores, or to simply hang out as a couch potato in their home. Safely transporting our animals is of great importance and we want to set an example to our community of how to transport dogs riding in vehicles who are not secured in a carrier but instead buckled by harness to a seat.

While on their social adventures, they can meet prospective adopters, who learn that they are available for adoption because of their clearly marked harnesses stating "Adopt Me" on them.

Thank you again so very much, Petfinder Foundation, for the funding to purchase "Adopt Me" and travel harnesses/belts, among other items we needed!

How many pets did this grant help?

The multiple transport/adopt-me harnesses will be used by approximately 25 medium and large dogs in the remaining calendar year.

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

Stevie Rae (first photo) was never without a big smile wherever she went. She was all-in for a fun adventure with her dog friends and all the people she met when on her fieldtrips.

She impressed her future adopters (second photo) after they fostered-to-adopt and saw how she handled herself within their lifestyle. They saw what a calm traveler she was and what a good nature she had when out and about.

Based on the feedback from our volunteers who frequently conduct these fieldtrips, she was an exemplary pooch ready to fit in with her new family. And it seems to have been the case for Stevie Rae!