Fluvanna SPCA: Dog Enrichment Grant Report

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

This grant helped us improve our park, which allows us to do more regular playgroups and provide more mental and physical stimulation for all the dogs in our shelter, whether or not they like to interact with other dogs.

Dogs who enjoy the company of other dogs have been enjoying time in playgroups. The grant allowed us to buy the necessary equipment to safely break up an altercation. We have learned more about the dogs' personalities and their play styles. This, in turn, has provided great information for potential adopters, and we have been able to better match dogs with their future forever families.

For dogs who prefer to just enjoy the attention of humans, the grant allowed us to buy pools, toys, and other enrichment tools to provide physical and mental stimulation during one-one-one time. We are very grateful for this grant, as so are the animals in our care!

How many pets did this grant help?

30

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

Jones (first photo) is a silly hound who didn’t show very well in his kennel, but he was able to show his full personality in playgroups. We were able to advertise him better on social media with cute pictures and videos of Jones playing in the park.

A family saw those pictures and fell in love with him. They brought their own dog (who looks exactly like Jones) to the shelter. The two dogs played like brothers in the park (second photo), and the rest is history. After spending almost a year at the shelter, Jones finally left and his family adores him (third photo).