Ingham County Animal Control & Shelter: KONG Toys Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
This grant allowed us to replace many of the KONGs that are used daily by the dogs in our care. KONGs are one of the most valuable enrichment tools we have and are given to every dog at the shelter, including adoptable dogs, stray dogs waiting to be reclaimed, and dogs being held for court cases. Having a fresh supply of durable KONGs helps us continue providing enrichment that reduces stress, relieves boredom, encourages natural behaviors, and helps make the shelter environment a little easier for dogs to navigate.
An additional benefit of this grant was that it allowed us to extend the impact beyond the shelter walls. While many of our older KONGs were too worn for continued use in a shelter setting, some still had life left in them. We were able to pass those along to community members while talking with them about the importance of enrichment and mental stimulation for their pets. This gave us an opportunity to share resources and education with pet owners while ensuring the new KONGs were available for the dogs currently in our care.
How many pets did this grant help?
Approximately 1,400 dogs, as that is our annual intake and we use Kongs for every dog in our care
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
One dog who benefited from this grant was Screeb, a 5-month-old pit-bull puppy who spent time both in the shelter and in a foster home. Screeb struggled significantly with overarousal and had difficulty settling, redirecting, and coping with frustration. While he was a young puppy, he exhibited behaviors that made it difficult for him to safely function in a typical home environment.
For dogs like Screeb, enrichment is especially important. KONG toys provided him with an appropriate outlet for chewing, licking, problem-solving, and engaging in natural behaviors. These activities helped keep his mind occupied and gave staff and foster caregivers another tool to help manage his stress and energy levels.
Although Screeb was ultimately not adopted, the enrichment he received throughout his time in our care helped improve his quality of life and allowed us to better support him while we assessed his needs and explored potential outcomes.
Cases like Screeb’s are a reminder that enrichment benefits every dog, not just those who are easily adoptable. Whether a dog is with us for a few days or several months, our goal is to provide the best possible welfare and quality of life during their stay, and this grant helped us do exactly that.
