Animal Welfare United States Project #10612

Save the Lives of Shelter Pets in North America

by Petfinder Foundation

Project Report | Dec 15, 2014
Rescuing Pets from Abuse and Neglect Nationwide

By Emily Fromm | VP of Development

MHS rescue driver Chris with Kalamata

Animal cruelty takes many forms - and animal shelters are often the victims' only hope. Through our grants, the Petfinder Foundation helps shelters combat cruelty and neglect. These are just a few recent examples of how your donations have helped shelters save pets in urgent need.

An Animal-Rescue Van in Detroit Stops Abuse in its Tracks
We funded an animal-rescue vehicle for Michigan Humane Society, which has taken over the task of responding to animal-cruelty complaints now that Detroit Animal Control does not have the funding to do so. One of the pets it rescued recently was a Border Collie-mix puppy that MHS staff named Kalamata. MHS Chief Development Officer Marta Diffen tells us, "A compassionate bystander found a small black dog at a dollar store. She took Kalamata with her because people were kicking her because she kept jumping up on them.

"She called MHS Rescue and we dispatched Chris and the van to the scene. Chris was able to take the sweet little dog and bring her to MHS Detroit Center for Animal Care. She was adopted after just a short stay with MHS. We are so grateful to the Petfinder Foundation for this van and the lifesaving work it is making possible! Thank you!"

Helping Dogs Rescued from a Georgia Puppy Mill
When 359 dogs were seized from what authorities called deplorable conditions at Heavenly Kennels near Cumming, Ga., we rushed a $3,000 disaster grant to Cherokee County Animal Shelter in Canton, Ga., to help offset the cost of caring for the dogs, all of whom were suffering from multiple parasites and infections and urgently needed medical care.

One of those dogs was Nadia, a 4-year-old Siberian husky who was pregnant and very anemic. She soon gave birth to seven puppies. "The staff found special adopters for each of the puppies and then one of the puppies' families called in to ask about Nadia," the shelter's rescue coordinator, Lori Kekel, tells us. "The couple was very worried about Nadia not being adopted, so they asked to adopt her as well. The day that Nadia and her baby Sasha left for their new home was full of lots of happy tears, from the staff and the adopters!" Even better, all the other rescued dogs found homes as well.

Horses, a Llama, Dogs and Cats Saved from Neglect in Washington
When fires raged across Washington state over the summer, many livestock owners were forced to place their animals into shelters. When one of those owners brought his animals to the shelter established at a Spokane rodeo grounds, the volunteers there became alarmed at their condition and called Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service (SCRAPS). The shelter's officer executed a search warrant at the owner's property and found many animals living in filth, feces and garbage.

SCRAPS seized two horses, one llama, eight dogs and six cats. A Petfinder Foundation grant enabled the shelter to provide medical care, food and shelter for the animals while the criminal case was being processed. "One of the animals, a dog named Stella, was pregnant," Development Manager Janet Dixon tells us. "Stella was brought to the shelter and gave birth here. The puppies were sent with their mother to a foster home, where they were adopted out after they were weaned."

See Many More Amazing Pet-Rescue Stories
We've compiled a video of some of the rescued-pet transformations that happened thanks to the organizations that received grants from the Petfinder Foundation in 2014. To get even more of a sense of how your donations help change the lives of pets in need, watch our video here.

Thank you so much for your donations, which make this lifesaving work possible.

Happy holidays from all of us at the Petfinder Foundation!

Georgia puppy mill-rescue Nadia with her puppies

A pup of Stella, rescued from neglect in Spokane

See Bluebell's amazing transformation in our video

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Sep 12, 2014
Improving Shelters to Save Lives for Years to Come

By Emily Fromm | VP of Development

Scruffy was adopted from Misfits, Mutts and Meows

Through Oct. 7, donate to Save the Lives of Shelter Pets in North America on Global Giving and Animal Planet will MATCH your gift! That means your donation will have double the impact for animal shelters that need to improve their physical facilities to help pets for years to come. Here are a few recent examples of how our grants have helped adoption groups do just that:

Upgrades to a Transport Van and Kennels
Misfits, Mutts and Meows in Crescent, Okla., upgraded its transport van and made repairs to its kennels and exercise yard.

The van upgrades include soundproofing insulation and circulating fans. These improvements “have allowed a safer, more comfortable place for the animals that are being transported to adoption events or into our rescue,” shelter president Joy Williams tells us. MM&M also purchased wood, connectors and welding supplies to build outdoor play enabling 22 dogs to play outside at one time while ensuring they are safely separated.

The van improvements are already making a difference. “This past weekend we had an adoption event in a town 45 minutes away,” Williams says. “We took six dogs and five cats. We had a pair of kitties adopted, Chips and Squeeker, and one dog named Scruffy (pictured). Having the capability to transport everything we need for our different events in one vehicle makes our day much easier.”

Buying Dog Beds
Something as small as getting caged dogs up off the hard concrete floor can make a big difference. That’s why Doberman & Rottweiler Rescue in Paris, Ill., used our grant to purchase high-quality raised dog beds.

“We know these dog beds will help with the quality of life the dogs have while in our care,” rescue director Karen White tells us. “We get older, large-breed dogs in who have some hardship getting up off concrete floors, and this will help them feel better while in our care. The kennel staff love them due to the fact that they cut down on laundry costs, and in the time it saves them, they can play more with the dogs.”

The beds are much appreciated by all the dogs at the rescue, including the doberman pictured here, “a starvation case we took in,” White says. “He was skin and bones when brought to our shelter from Animal Control. He had to gain 20 lbs. before the vet would neuter him. He is now in his new home doing wonderfully, and the new owner bought a bed for him like he had at our facility because he loved that bed. We all feel he had never had anything but the ground to sleep on and he loved the bed we provided him.”

Repairing Kennels to Save a Shelter
Carteret County Humane Society in Newport, N.C., used our grant funds to purchase supplies to repair concrete fixtures in the kennel area, as well as concrete sealant to be applied this fall. “Without these repairs we could possibly fail our state inspection and take the chance of being closed down,” shelter director Candace Christopherson tells us. “These repairs are very important to the shelter itself but also to the health of the animals. Large cracks in the foundation can lead to build-up of bacteria, which could cause illness.”

CCHS is the only shelter for its county, so if it hadn’t been able to make the needed repairs to its 29-year-old building, it could have closed down, which would have affected more than 3,000 animals a year. Pictured is Maggie, just one of the homeless pets the grant helped.

Building a Lot Just for Puppies
Forgotten Angels Animal Rescue in Chuckey, Tenn., used the funds to build a puppy lot for new litters when they arrive at the shelter. With the grant money, staff purchased fencing and a gate, solar-powered outdoor lights, a new Weed Eater and a Gator wagon to help at feeding time.

“It helped us to have a safe place for puppies so they can have room to run and play,” shelter director Polly Rogers tells us. The lot is now on its fourth litter of puppies, so it’s helped 36 pups so far. All the puppies love the yard, but one in particular who has benefited from it is a blind puppy (the white pup with black spots in the photo) who no longer has to stay in a crate. “She now knows where the fence is and runs and plays with her littermates,” Rogers says.

Help more pets like these! Through Oct. 7, donate to Save the Lives of Shelter Pets in North America on Global Giving and Animal Planet will MATCH your gift!

MM&M's new outdoor runs

The dobie at Doberman & Rottweiler Rescue

Maggie at Carteret County Humane Society

Pups at Forgotten Angels Animal Rescue

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Jun 23, 2014
For Shelter Dogs, Happiness Saves Lives

By Emily Fromm | VP of Development

Finley and his KONG

Happy, healthy dogs are more likely to get adopted. When they are physically comfortable, feel safe and secure, and are not crazed with boredom, they show their true personalities and charm potential adopters.

That's why many of our grants are designed to improve shelter dogs' quality of life. A bed, a toy and even a good shampoo can make all the difference. Here are just a few of the thousands of dogs who have benefited from our quality of life grants:

Finley
When we granted 300 KONG toys to Pima Animal Care Center in Tucson, it was great news for dogs like Finley, a 5-year-old Italian Greyhound mix. "Shelter life can be scary for pets," PACC Development Director Karen Hollish tells us. "The enrichment activity that Finley received from the granted toys meant he was relaxed, happy and ready when his adopter finally walked by." Read Finley's story.

Smiley
Smiley, a 9-year-old blind Pit Bull, has been at the Animal Protection Center of Southeastern Massachusetts in Brockton for quite some time. Thanks to our grant, he and other dogs there sleep on cozy dog beds. "There is nothing Smiley likes better than going out for long walks," shelter director Kim Heise says. "But having a nice, soft, comfy bed to snuggle up on in his kennel makes having to come back a little easier." Read Smiley's story.

Suzy
Adoption groups receiving our grants of grooming products tell us the shampoos are a blessing to their dogs, many of whom come into their care with painful skin conditions and smelling terrible. Suzy had spent her seven years living outdoors when she arrived at Houndhaven in Minneola, FL, and her coat was in poor shape. After a regimen that included baths with our donated shampoo, Suzy blossomed -- and was adopted. Read Suzy's story.

Thanks to donors like you, shelter dogs can rest easy while waiting for their forever families.

Smiley on his bed

Suzy "before," with missing fur

Suzy as she looks now

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