Converse Animal Shelter, Inc.: Grant Report

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

CASI received a grant from the Petfinder Foundation's New Year, New Home campaign. We divided the $2,000 grant so that we could apply $50 to each dog adoption. CASI was able to lower the adoption fee to $100 for 40 different dog adoptions.

The San Antonio, Texas, area has a low cost of living, but also has lower salaries than most of the state. People are very cost-conscious when making a purchase. By lowering the adoption fee to $100, CASI was able to get these animals adopted, which raised the morale of the staff and volunteers at the shelter. Of course, the animals, who were adopted into good homes, and their new families were thrilled as well.

How many pets did this grant help?

Forty individual dogs were adopted through this grant, making room at the shelter to take in more abandoned pets.

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

Bentley, a 15-year-old hound (first photo), was left in a carrier at CASI’s gate in 2004. She was adopted in December 2009 but unfortunately was returned in February 2016 due to the poor health of her adopter. She found a second home in August 2016, but was returned to CASI in October 2018 when her owner lost her job and had to move in with relatives. A couple came to see her in August 2019 and they both fell in love with her. The fact that the adoption fee was down to $100 helped these adopters make up their minds to take Bentley home (second photo).

A lady surrendered a tiny white Chihuahua (third photo) to CASI in February 2019. The 4-year-old female pup had been the constant companion of a relative from the time she was 6 weeks old. Her owner had passed away and Baby was inconsolable; she hid from everyone, she cried constantly, and our staff was unable to comfort her. A lovely lady visited CASI in August of 2019; Baby climbed into the lady’s arms and we knew they were a match. The grant made it possible for the adopter to cover the adoption fee with her senior citizen’s income.

In June of 2019, a thin, balding little gray dog showed up at our gate. Hunter (fourth photo) turned out to be a very pregnant 3-year-old Siberian husky who was suffering from mange. With a lot of love, medical treatment, and good nutritious food, she turned into a sweet, beautiful dog. After she had her five puppies, we were able to put her up for adoption. Her coat has grown in and she has gained a healthy amount of weight. A couple came to CASI and, thanks to the reduced adoption fee, they were able to take Hunter home with them.