Stephen Memorial Animal Shelter: KONG Toys Grant Report

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

We received a KONG product grant valued at $139.50. We received several KONG toys of various sizes that were used to provide enrichment for the dogs in our care.

This grant helped the dogs in our care by providing enrichment. This was especially helpful given that the dogs must be taken on short walks by volunteers in the cold winter months. We prepare the KONGs by stuffing them with a mixture of peanut butter, canned dog food, and kibble. Then we freeze them. The frozen KONGs are given to each dog on a daily basis. This helps keep them busy and provides very good mental stimulation for them.

UPDATE: Mr. T has been adopted!

How many pets did this grant help?

20 and counting!

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

Mr. T (first and second photos) is a pit bull mix whom we have had at our shelter for several months. He is very energetic and does not show very well in his kennel, which results in him getting looked over by adopters. With it being so cold outside right now, he doesn’t get as much outdoor time as he should. While he does get multiple short walks every day, it was not doing much to help with his frustration. Thanks to this KONG product grant, Mr. T gets a stuffed frozen KONG every day and we have seen a significant improvement in his mental health as exhibited by a decrease in stereotypical behaviors. He also shows much better in his kennel!