Dogs Playing for Life: Play Pet Beds Grant Report

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

The P.L.A.Y. pet beds that were granted to our organization are going a long way to keep our dogs comfortable and fulfilled while they get the training they need to find homes of their own! We utilize the beds not only as a place to be comfortable, but as a training tool to help dogs understand what their "safe space" is, which allows them to transfer these skills to another adoption center or even a home. When we can tell placement partners and adopters that the P.L.A.Y. pet bed is something that is familiar to the dog, this helps tremendously with the hiccups that sometimes come with the transition home. This leads to lasting adoptions and happier adopters in addition to well-cared for dogs!

How many pets did this grant help?

300

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

Ivan is a dog who has tremendously benefitted from the P.L.A.Y. Pet Beds Grant! Ivan spent 112 days in-shelter at Alachua County Animal Resources, where he struggled immensely with terrible kennel stress: excessive salivation, constant pacing, and biting, grabbing, and tugging the leash as soon as his kennel door was opened.

Ivan thought he had caught his lucky break in February when he was adopted, but he was unfortunately returned to kennel life through no fault of his own, resulting in more kennel stress and uncertainty.

He came to Dogs Playing for Life in March. While Ivan still isn’t particularly comfortable in his kennel, his P.L.A.Y. pet bed has given him a comfortable spot to lounge and is of tremendous comfort to him, which enables him to relax in a variety of environments and contexts.

Thanks to this product, and the hard work of our team, he has secured his ride to a placement partner that will surely find him a home where he can relax and enjoy life with his new family!