Humane Society of the New Braunfels Area: Kia Pet Adoption Grant Report

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

The Petfinder Foundation Kia Pet Adoption grant had a profound and lifesaving impact on the pets at the Humane Society of the New Braunfels Area (HSNBA), particularly our long-term residents. With the invaluable support of this grant, HSNBA successfully waived adoption fees for our extended-stay residents and pets facing the imminent risk of euthanasia due to shelter overcrowding.

To aid the pets most in need, we initiated the grant period by focusing on our dogs in the "100 Day Club" — a club reserved exclusively for pets residing at HSNBA for over 100 days. The outcome surpassed our expectations as we celebrated a triumphant achievement: finding loving homes for 10 dogs who had been under our care for more than 100 days!

This was a huge victory, not only for the long-resident dogs adopted but also for our dedicated staff, who tirelessly provide a secure and nurturing shelter environment while these pets await adoption. Beyond the 10 dogs adopted from the 100 Days Club, an additional 32 animals found new families through the 2023 Kia Pet Adoption grant.

Key highlights from the Kia Pet Adoption grant period include:

- 34 dogs and eight cats found loving families within the grant period, with most of them having resided at the shelter for a minimum of 45 days.
- The average duration of stay for pets benefiting from the grant was 89 days.
- The successful adoption of long-resident dogs enabled us to free up valuable kennel space in our critically overcrowded dog adoption area, which was pivotal in preventing euthanasia due to lack of space.

We could not be happier with the results from the Petfinder Foundation and Kia's incredibly generous grant. We were thrilled to have an opportunity to remove barriers by waiving adoption fees to find homes for the pets at HSNBA who needed it the most!

How many pets did this grant help?

42

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

We had many successful stories during this grant period, but the story of Jade (first photo), a 1-year-old Belgian Malinois who went from getting returned for being too rambunctious to getting a second chance as a police dog for the New Braunfels Police Department, is our favorite!

Jade came to us as a stray dog with a lot of energy and the determination to do a job. Jade spent some time in the shelter, but she was fortunate to have a dedicated foster caregiver who ensured she received the enrichment and care she needed to thrive while awaiting her perfect home.

Jade not only found the perfect home with a local police officer, she also found the ideal outlet for her energy, skills, and drive to work. Check out Jade’s story here.

Here are some of the other highlights of pets adopted during the grant period:

– Miss Riley (second photo) came to HSNBA as a stray dog with a badly broken leg. We quickly had her evaluated by a partnering veterinarian, who informed us that it was an old injury with too much damage to save and that amputation was the best long-term choice for Riley. Thankfully, the surgery went well! Riley was able to recover in a wonderful foster home, where she learned to live a new life as a three-legged dog! Riley was adopted after spending 99 days at HSNBA!

– Atlas (third photo) was an adult cat who spent over 100 days at HSNBA before being adopted as part of the Kia Pet Adoption grant. Atlas spent a considerable amount of his time at HSNBA being treated for an upper-respiratory infection in our cat isolation ward before moving on to our cat condos to be viewed for adoption. Even after recovering from the upper-respiratory infection, Atlas was continuously being overlooked. Thanks to the Petfinder Foundation, Atlas was able to find a new home with a waived-fee adoption!

– Doris and Betty White arrived at HSNBA after their owner passed away. This duo were a bonded pair who were able to find an incredible adopter to adopt them together! Thanks to the Petfinder Foundation and Kia, the adorable pair will live out their lives happy and together.

The profound impact of the Petfinder Foundation and Kia Pet Adoption grant on our organization cannot be overstated. Every animal adopted with a waived fee because of this grant has a unique story similar to the ones shared above. The barriers lifted through this grant enabled us to find homes for 42 of our most vulnerable pets, enriching their lives and our community alike. We extend our heartfelt gratitude for this opportunity to make a lifesaving difference!