Boxer Lovers Rescue: Dog Field Trip/Short-Term Fostering Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
The grant allowed us to purchase supplies for our playdate program. With the harnesses, leashes, and seatbelts, the boxers can be safely transported and handled while on playdates. To let others know they are looking for a home, they will be wearing one of the "Adopt Me" vests or bandanas we were able to purchase.
The dogs have loved getting away from the kennels. They love going out on the town, making new friends wherever they go. A few places they visited fell in love and did their own Facebook posts about the boxers. This opened up a new audience, which led to new volunteers.
We are excited to see our playdate program grow.
How many pets did this grant help?
96+. Our goal was two playdates a week to start, but we are already seeing more than that.
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
Wendy (photos 1-4) came to us from Texas after her elderly owner was no longer able to care for her. She’d had no socialization: Her owner had been the only person she knew and he had never taken her out of the home. It took us months before she ever let us do more than briefly touch her.
She had come so far, but going on a playdate was a HUGE step for her. Her playdate pics had us crying. While Wendy is still with us, she did find a foster home the same day as her playdate and is doing amazing. She now enjoys going on car rides to take kids to school (fourth photo). You can meet Wendy here.
UPDATE March 29, 2024: Wendy has been adopted. She will now be Junie. Such a great and fitting name for her. She will be living in Seattle with her new mom Brooke and new dad Danny (first photo). She will have a wonderful life. Thank you, Brooke and Danny, for adopting. Congratulations Junie, we are so happy for you!
Jasmine, a.k.a. Jazzy Girl (fifth photo), came to us from a shelter in New Mexico that she had visited multiple times, as she was quite the fence-jumper.
She was declining in our kennels: pacing and sitting in the corner. Although we had her out in playgroup daily, she was still here.
She was our first one to go out on a playdate. Her new friend took her for a walk and then to hang out at her house for the day. Jasmine played, watched the cats out in the yard, took a long nap on the couch, and best of all, she caught the attention of a couple who had no fence for her to jump (sixth photo).
She was adopted and is doing wonderfully. She is the first dog the husband has ever had, and he is in love!
Hershey (seventh photo) also came to us from New Mexico. We’ve been asked a zillion times: “Why? He’s not a boxer.” True, but he needed help and we had room, so he joined us. While Hershey was out on his playdate, we got a phone call from the couple that took him out saying they did not want to bring him back. (They did come back long enough to adopt him!)
