Animal Rescue, Inc.: WAHL Grooming Grant Report

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

Bottles of shampoo were donated and the shampoo was used on rescued dogs.

The shampoo that was donated was used to bathe rescued dogs.

How many pets did this grant help?

Many dogs were helped with the shampoo.

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

Rescued after six years at a puppy mill, Kayla found a loving home! When Kayla, a yellow Labrador, arrived at Animal Rescue, Inc.’s Sanctuary for Life, she was thin from her six years of “life” at a puppy mill. Kayla sat on her bed and shook uncontrollably as she accepted attention from her new caregivers at Animal Rescue, Inc. Kayla was so scared, her bed even shook! With time and loving attention, Kayla quietly began to come out of her shell. She started accepting treats from her caregivers and her shaking also began to lessen. Kayla’s caregivers worked diligently with her and realized that this poor girl would need a patient and loving family to help her adapt to her new life. While Kayla showed no outward signs of physical illness, her teeth told a truly sad story about her past at the puppy mill. Poor nutrition caused plaque to build up on her teeth, which irritated her gum line. What’s worse, it appears that stress caused Kayla to chew on the bars of her cage, and many of her teeth were worn down to short nubs. One of Kayla’s canine teeth was even broken from her chewing.

We hoped for a better life for Kayla and began to persistently work to find the perfect forever home for this sweet dog. With the right family who had puppy mill dog experience, Kayla is now doing much better — she isn’t shaking anymore — and is actually appreciating the attention of her new family. Attached are pictures of Kayla, the rescued puppy mill dog, in her happy new home.