Rosenberg Animal Control & Shelter: Play Yard Renovation Grant Report

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

Our shelter received a $4,459 grant from the Petfinder Foundation toward a play yard renovation project. In 2019, staff attended a DPFL mentorship (also thanks to a grant from the Petfinder Foundation!) and began hosting playgroups at the shelter almost daily. The team began to realize that the existing yards, built by Eagle Scouts, were not high enough in quality to satisfy needs. Dogs regularly escaped or jumped the fences. Thanks to the Petfinder Foundation's gift, we were able to employ Houston Fence Company to reconstruct our yards with professional-grade chainlink fabric, commercial gates, and posts.

The play yard renovation has given our shelter the ability to host single and group play sessions more safely and effectively. The new yards are far more secure than they were previously, and now, we do not need extra staff members to pay mind to flight-risk areas or ziptie/bungee weak points, or perform other makeshift repairs. The newfound confidence in our yard structures frees up staff and volunteer time and enables more play sessions given that additional personnel are no longer required. This has led to increased enrichment opportunities for all of our dogs and renewed peace of mind among their handlers.

How many pets did this grant help?

Our shelter intakes more than 600 dogs annually, and each enjoys yard time daily!

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

Our team loves to showcase playgroups on social media, and recently, we had a dog named Blanche who was very shy and timid during meet-and-greets, but thrived in group play. Her adopter saw these photos and that is what inspired her to drive several hours to pick her up and take her home!