Women's Humane Society dba Women's Animal Center: Senior Pet Adoption Assistance Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
Women's Animal Center is deeply grateful to the Petfinder Foundation for selecting us as a recipient of a $1,000 Senior Pet Adoption Assistance Grant. Each year, a significant number of senior pets are surrendered to our shelter, often because their person has fallen ill or passed away.
Unfortunately, these senior pets are frequently overlooked. Sometimes, would-be adopters may be hesitant to open their hearts and homes to an animal who "may only have a few years left." Other times, adopters may fear that a senior animal may have or will develop an age-related medical condition that might be costly to treat.
Thankfully, Women's Animal Center's shelter is an open-admission facility that accepts all animals regardless of age, breed, or medical condition. It is also a no-kill facility: In 2021, our live release rate (LRR) was 91.5%. Women's Animal Center recognizes how much love senior pets have in them to give -- and receive -- and we make concerted efforts to promote our senior adoptables. Certainly, incentives such as the Petfinder Foundation's Senior Pet Adoption Assistance Grants are powerful complements to such efforts, and Women's Animal Center is appreciative of this support.
How many pets did this grant help?
1
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
The original proposal Women’s Animal Center submitted to the Petfinder Foundation seeking Senior Pet Adoption Assistance Grant funding was written on behalf of a beautiful tortoiseshell senior cat named Sophie (first photo). Half of a bonded pair, Sophie came to Women’s Animal Center with her senior sister, Lulu (with Sophie in the second photo), when their person became critically ill and no one was available to care for them.
While the nonprofit was able to house the cats together in a spacious enclosure, it proved a harder task to find an adopter willing to take both cats. The sisters’ lives then took a sad turn when Lulu passed. Sophie’s dramatic coloring and regal bearing attracted attention, but the fact that she had a chronic health condition – diabetes – deterred some potential pet parents.
Women’s Animal Center greatly appreciated the opportunity to apply for a Petfinder Foundation Senior Pet Adoption Assistance Grant that could help offset the considerable costs associated with twice-daily Vetsulin injections, prescription food, glucose testing, and more. Receiving word that we had been approved for the funding was exciting news, indeed.
It was a joyous day at Women’s Animal Center when an older couple stopped in and adopted not one, but two, senior cats. One of them was Sophie (with her new mom in the third photo)! I was excited to be able to phone Sophie’s new parents and tell them about the very generous adoption stipend that was available to them, courtesy of the Petfinder Foundation, to help them with her healthcare costs.
While Sophie’s new parents were most appreciative of the offer, I was informed that they would prefer it if the funding were made available to another pet in need. I appreciated their candor and generosity, and wrote to Melissa Siewert at the Petfinder Foundation to inquire if another senior pet might be considered. She graciously agreed to review information regarding Kirk, a senior (11+-years-old) tabby with diabetes (fourth and fifth photo).
After reviewing the preliminary information I submitted about Kirk, Melissa informed me that there were two items that needed to be addressed before Kirk could be approved. One concerned crafting a descriptive bio about Kirk and attaching it to his Petfinder profile. Pending approval by the director of shelter services, Jack Griffin, the following will be added to Kirk’s Petfinder page:
Meet Kirk, a handsome domestic shorthair-tabby mix, available for adoption at Women’s Animal Center in Bensalem, PA.
Kirk is a medium-sized senior gentleman (11+-years-old) with a sweet and youthful air about him. This kind soul has made his home at Women’s Animal Center since May 2021, since his owner passed away. While Kirk has been calm and comfortable in his roomy enclosure at the shelter, his very affectionate nature and responsiveness to touch suggest his eagerness to be the adored and cared for occupant of a comfy lap or a sunny perch. Being held close in the arms of a trusted human also suits him just fine!
Kirk has an orange coat that is soft and sleek with elegant markings, and he loves to be brushed. His yellow eyes are observant and reflect his trusting, patient nature. Kirk has a wonderful soft purr and always has a ready “meow” to greet visitors. Among his distinguishing characteristics is the fact that he is polydactyl on all four paws – an uncommon trait that makes him that much more endearing.
Kirk is diabetic and needs twice-daily insulin shots. He is also on a prescription food. While Kirk’s diabetes requires regular monitoring, his overall health is very good. Kirk has been neutered and microchipped, and is current on all of his vaccinations. All he needs is you.
It has been said, “You can’t buy love, but you can adopt it.” For more information about how you can meet Kirk and welcome this sweet, gentle bundle of love into your life, visit womensanimalcenter.org.
The second item that remains to be addressed relates to Kirk’s age status on Petfinder.org. While Kirk is a senior pet and his age is reflected accurately both in Women’s Animal Center’s PetPoint database and on the nonprofit’s website, he is listed as an “adult” cat on Petfinder.com (rather than as a senior). Efforts are being made to investigate how this glitch occurred and how it might be corrected.
I am certain that the grant will be a “gift that keeps on giving” for this very special elder. We look forward to sharing with you news of Kirk’s adoption and savoring the opportunity to pass along the details of his “gotcha” story, as well as an updated grant report.
