Badass Animal Rescue, Inc.: Kia Pet Adoption Grant Report

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

This grant allowed for eight of our longest-term and most difficult-to-place dogs to get adopted! By providing that extra bit of incentive and support, we were able to get all of our most nervous dogs and the most medically challenging dogs into their new forever homes. The entire Badass volunteer and staff community were thrilled, and the adoptions boosted morale and passion to find our dogs the homes they deserve.

Here are the dogs your grant helped save:

Black Walnut: Rescued from a hoarding situation in May 2024 and very fearful of people ($200 of $550 adoption fee waived)
Bunkie Williams: Adopted as a puppy and returned as a senior due to extreme home guarding ($200 of $550 adoption fee waived)
Ethel Mertz: Rescued in 2021; in rescue for 3.5 years (full adoption fee of $550 waived)
Elliot: Rescued in 2021; in rescue for 3.5 years ($200 of $550 adoption fee waived)
Fudge Ribbon: Rescued from a hoarding situation in May 2024; very fearful of people ($200 of $550 adoption fee waived)
Fred: Surrendered by owner due to major health issue; has separation anxiety and required child-free home outside the city; in rescue for one year ($200 of $550 adoption fee waived)
Lenora Vulvokov: Rescued in early 2022; in rescue for 2.5 years ($200 of $550 adoption fee waived)
Lovesong: Rescued in early 2023; in rescue for nearly two years ($300 discounted from $550 adoption fee)

How many pets did this grant help?

8

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

We first met Ethel Mertz (photos 1-4) at a large, high-intake shelter in Dallas in early 2021. At the time, she was 8 years old. Ethel was adopted relatively quickly but was returned just a few months later when her adopter realized they could not provide adequate care for a large-breed dog.

This was just the beginning of Ethel’s Badass journey. Over the 3.5 years she was in our care, Ethel’s large and devoted following grew. Her social-media posts consistently received more engagement than other dogs’ as everyone wondered why she still had not found her forever home. Her foster described her as “the absolute sweetest, derpiest gal” who was always down for some “full-on cuddle action.” And there was just something about her story (and her gray muzzle and soulful eyes) that captured everyone’s attention.

While she received plenty of adoption applications, none of them turned out to be the right match. Ethel wasn’t a difficult dog, but she had a combination of behavioral and medical needs that required a specific type of adopter. She struggled with reactivity on leash and needed a slow, structured introduction. Many applicants were uncomfortable managing leash reactivity with a large dog (70 lbs.) on the busy streets of Brooklyn. And while in our care, Ethel was treated for a variety of medical issues, some of which would require ongoing care, including heartworm, osteoarthritis, allergies, dental disease, malignant mammary tumors, and an aggressive adenocarcinoma.

While we continued to look for the right home for Ethel, little did we know that her foster had started to think maybe she had already found it. Ethel had settled into her home and coexisted well with the two resident dogs. She traveled well and loved visiting family outside the city. When we learned the foster mom was thinking about adopting Ethel, we also learned that her primary concern was financial. Ethel’s ongoing medical care had the potential to be costly. As we continued the conversation, we offered to help mitigate some of the costs in part by waiving her adoption fee through the Petfinder Foundation grant. Shortly thereafter, she let us know she would like to make it official and adopt Ethel.

We met Elliot (photos 5-8) in early 2021 during a rescue trip to Dallas. He was a 2-year-old pit bull mix who loved to socialize with other dogs in playgroups and was eager to make friends. He traveled to Brooklyn that summer and we thought he would quickly find a forever home.

Unfortunately, while his fosters loved him and described him as an “adorable ham” whose “heart is even bigger than his blocky head,” Elliot found the sights and sounds of the city to be a challenge. And while he has always enjoyed time with other dogs and successfully lived in foster homes with them, he was reactive when he saw them on leash. This meant he was unable to attend adoption events where his sweet personality would catch the attention of the perfect adopter.

To better set Elliot up for success, we sent him to a training partner in Vermont. He did so well outside the city, we made the decision to look for a home for him near there. His trainer felt confident he would find a home in their community.

As the months, and then years, passed, Elliot received some casual interest, but an adoption never materialized. While he was happy boarding in Vermont, he deserved a forever home, and we began to consider whether a change of scenery might improve his prospects.

Last summer, a longtime friend of the rescue reached out. She lived in Virginia and had met Elliot years before. She had a client who had lost their dog earlier this year and was thinking about adopting again. They were looking for an adult pittie or pittie mix who would make a great family dog and would enjoy being part of their active lifestyle.

Unlike other potential adopters, who assumed that, because Elliot had been in rescue for so long, there must be a significant issue with his behavior, they met him with an open mind, which allowed them to see, not his history, but a wonderful dog who’d had bad luck. They were excited to continue to invest time in his training to ensure he would make a smooth transition to their home and to be patient as he opened up and showed them all sides of his personality. After meeting them, we were confident that Elliot’s rescue journey would finally come to an end.

One challenge we have encountered when working with adopters outside the NYC area is the higher cost of adoption when compared to their local rescues and shelters. The cost of rescuing and caring for dogs in NYC (vetting, transportation, etc.) requires a higher adoption fee. In order to ensure this did not become a barrier to Elliot’s adoption, we used the Petfinder Foundation grant to offer an adoption fee that was consistent with others in their community. Elliot was adopted at the end of September and is flourishing in his new home.