11th Hour Animal Rescue, Inc.: Shelter Foster Support Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
On behalf of everyone at Eleventh Hour Rescue, thank you to the Petfinder Foundation for your generous $2,000 grant to support our foster program. Your investment has had an immediate and meaningful impact by helping us purchase crates for foster families, an essential resource that removes barriers to fostering while providing dogs with a safe, structured environment as they prepare for adoption.
This grant has become part of a larger foster recruitment and retention initiative designed to increase the number of families willing to open their homes to dogs in need. One of the most exciting additions to this initiative has been our monthly Mall Mingle events at the Rockaway Mall Adoption Center. These events give prospective foster families the opportunity to meet available dogs in a relaxed, welcoming setting, ask questions, and learn about the rewards of fostering from experienced volunteers.
The newly purchased crates have become an important part of these events. Foster families are now able to leave directly from the mall with everything they need to welcome a dog into their home, including a crate and other essential supplies. By providing these resources upfront, we have simplified the foster process and removed one of the common financial and logistical concerns that often prevents people from saying “yes” to fostering.
How many pets did this grant help?
25
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
One dog who has directly benefited from this grant is Doug Athens (first photo), one of our featured adoptable dogs. Doug has spent several months in foster care, where he has made tremendous progress building confidence and learning to live comfortably in a home. However, one area that had not been addressed was crate training, because his foster family did not have an appropriate crate available.
Thanks to the Petfinder Foundation grant, Doug received a crate that has allowed his foster family to begin consistent crate-training sessions. He is learning valuable life skills, establishing routines, and becoming more comfortable spending time independently. These are important milestones that will make his transition into a permanent home much smoother and significantly increase his appeal to potential adopters.
Beyond Doug’s individual success, the crates continue to benefit many other foster families throughout our program. They provide dogs with a secure space to decompress after leaving the kennel, support house training and behavioral development, and give fosters the tools they need to successfully care for dogs of all ages and backgrounds.
Your support has done much more than purchase equipment — it has strengthened our foster program, improved the experience for volunteers, and helped dogs receive the individualized care and training they need while waiting for their forever homes.
Thank you again for partnering with Eleventh Hour Rescue and for believing in the lifesaving impact of foster care. Your generosity is helping us recruit new foster families, better support our existing ones, and give dogs like Doug Athens the opportunity to thrive while they wait for the loving homes they deserve.
