Wagon Tails Farm Rescue: KONG Toys Grant Report

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

Having KONG toys for our fosters is not only a great way to help entertain our foster dogs, but also to teach them. KONGs help teach our fosters that crate time is fun and rewarding, letting them learn to enjoy and like their crates instead of dreading being confined. It also gives them a healthy outlet to help with mental stimulation during days that aren't full of action and adventure. These things give our foster dogs the ability to better transition and adapt to whatever life may bring their way as they settle into new homes and new lives with our adopters.

How many pets did this grant help?

40

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

Benjamin Buttons came to us after being rushed to the vet for a horrible embedded wire tether that had sliced its way a good 4-5″ into his neck. After successful tether removal, lots of cleaning and debriding, shaving, and general cleanup, his road to his furever family began with a lot of crate rest while he healed from this.

This is where KONG toys help our fosters thrive. While Benjamin was on crate rest, his foster home would use frozen, stuffed KONGs to help keep him entertained and work his brain while his body had to stay quiet.

As days turned into weeks, Benjamin quickly became accustomed not only to going in his crate for his KONG, but he was also content to sleep in his crate at night and looked to that space as his safe space when he got over-excited or unsure of himself.

When Benjamin was adopted, his foster made sure to pack two of his KONG toys and a jar of peanut butter, his favorite evening treat for when it was time to wind down. Benjamin now thrives in a home with several humans that he calls his own.