The Animal Foundation: KONG Toys Grant Report

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

During their stays in the shelter, most dogs experience heightened levels of stress, which negatively affects both their mental wellbeing as well as their overall adoptability.

The Animal Foundation routinely cares for more than 500 dogs simultaneously, so the financial cost of enough enrichment to go around is a constant battle.

By generously providing these KONG toys, the Petfinder Foundation has ensured that a significant number of dogs will receive daily enrichment, which gives them the much-needed mental stimulation and human interaction to ensure their continued adoptability.

How many pets did this grant help?

1,000

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

Coco, like almost all dogs, loves a good smear of peanut butter.

When she was surrendered by her owner, she was immediately stressed, fearful, and confused about her new surroundings. Her attitude quickly changed when she realized that she would be getting a daily KONG with a hefty dose of peanut butter every morning.

After just a few days, she was excited and wiggly every morning as the KONG cart rolled around, passing out enrichment. Because she was able to maintain a healthy mental state, she was adopted after only two weeks in the shelter.