Central Missouri Humane Society: P.L.A.Y. Pet Beds Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
The P.L.A.Y. beds were given to our stray and adoptable animals at the shelter. They were thrilled to get the new, comfy beds! We use Kuranda beds at the shelter, which are great, but the P.L.A.Y. beds are extra-special and really make the dogs extra comfortable.
We strive to create a low-stress and enriching environment for all of our stray and adoptable animals. The P.L.A.Y. beds are great because they're super comfy, easy to wash, and the dogs don't seem to want to rip them up (haha!). They also hold scents so we can give them back to a dog after their kennel is fully cleaned and they still have a familiar scent. It's amazing how something as simple as a new bed or blanket can make such a huge difference to a scared dog.
How many pets did this grant help?
100
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
This summer has been super busy for us, not just with kitten season but also with multiple litters of puppies coming in to our shelter. At one point, we had more than 60 puppies in our care. One of the litters was found on the side of the highway in a cardboard Amazon box. The person who dumped them made sure to rip the shipping tag off the box so that they couldn’t be tracked down.
There were six puppies in the box, all emaciated and scared to death. After getting them all cleaned and vaccinated, we put them in a kennel. They were so tiny that they couldn’t even crawl up on the Kuranda bed and instead huddled underneath it on the cold concrete.
We ended up flipping the Kuranda bed over and putting a couple of P.L.A.Y beds on top. After a little bit, the puppies calmed down, cuddled up on the beds, and went to sleep. When they went to a foster home, we sent the beds with them. The foster said they were great and so easy to just throw in the wash. As soon as they hit 8 weeks old, we put them up for adoption and they all found homes within the week!
