Arizona Animal Welfare League: KONG Toys Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
Our award was in Kong toy product. We are always thankful when we can utilize grant awards to ensure that our dogs have durable and useful toys to play with here at the shelter. These products came at a time when we had many rescues happen over this summer of 2020. Many of these dogs either came from commercial breeding facilities or hoarding situations, so it was the perfect time to have a Kong toy for them when they arrived.
I think that any dog who enters our shelter has a sense of fear/anxiety, wondering, "where am I and what is this place?" for those initial first days here. Being able to give them a durable toy like a Kong can help ease that anxiety and provide something for them to keep active with as they await their forever homes. Getting the Kong toys, particularly in this year, but also over one of the hottest summers on record, was so helpful and timely, as we had the ability to use these toys with frozen treats inside to keep the dogs calm and give them an activity while in their kennels.
How many pets did this grant help?
1,200
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
Elana (pictured) arrived at Arizona Animal Welfare League on Dec. 1, 2020. She was a transfer from one of our rural rescue partners, Graham County Animal Control. She is a 3-year-old cattle dog mix who just wants to find a home and love. She arrived at AAWL and we made sure she got the vaccines and wellness check she needed to be ready to head to adoptions and get adopted.
When she arrived, and because she was a stray and had been transported more than four hours to AAWL, we knew that she needed a treat to help calm her and make her feel comfortable. She was given a Kong toy filled with a treat. Elana loved her peanut-butter Kong!
Elana went up on Facebook and Instagram today and within hours and almost 10 days later, Elana is on a sleepover, making sure she is a good match for her potential owner’s other dog. We know she will find her forever home soon and she has her Kong toy to keep her busy and feeling less anxious.
