Second Chance Animal Alliance: Dog Field Trip/Short-Term Fostering Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
As a volunteer-led shelter, we have always sought ways to engage the local University of Mississippi students. Often, students want to engage with the dogs but do not have the living facilities to foster. The Doggy Day Out program has been a huge success, with 42 Doggy Day Out volunteers registered since the launch of the program in May 2024.
This grant helped us provide "Adopt Me" leashes and collars, harnesses, seat belts, and collapsible water bowls. We have created an entrance landing spot for our Doggy Day Out supplies so volunteers can register, check out a dog, and get the supplies for the dog for the day. The supplies keep our volunteers and dogs safe and promotable for adoption, and ensure they have a nice outing!
We are a small shelter, but we want to keep expanding our field-trip program and encourage community and University engagement with the shelter.
How many pets did this grant help?
42
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
Kangaroo was one of six older puppies brought to the shelter in June. Two of the six were quickly adopted, and three others moved into foster homes. Kangaroo was the last remaining littermate left at the shelter.
A new volunteer signed up to take Kangaroo on a Doggy Day Out. Kangaroo got along immediately with the volunteer’s young kids and their dogs. The family picked Kangaroo up the next day for another day out. They adored her so much, the volunteer was able to talk her partner into fostering her.
Kangaroo is now thriving in a foster home, and we have gained a new foster!
Also, since starting the Doggy Day Out program a few months ago, we have been able to get four of our longer-stay shelter residents adopted as a direct result of the updated personality descriptions and photos from the day out program.
