Whitman County Humane Societyy: Kia Pet Adoption Grant Report

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

The grant from the Petfinder Foundation was instrumental in making our Barkinglot event a success. It allowed us to generate more excitement and draw a larger crowd to the shelter, which significantly boosted community engagement. Many attendees were first-time visitors, and some were considering becoming first-time pet adopters. The event helped us build positive relationships with community members who hadn’t previously connected with our shelter, expanding our outreach and fostering a deeper connection with the local community.

As a result, many more animals found their new homes, directly reducing the number of pets in our care. Since we often operate over capacity at this time of year, every adoption made a meaningful difference. By finding homes for more pets, we were able to provide enhanced care and attention to the animals that remained in the shelter. None of this would have been possible without the excitement garnered from this grant.

How many pets did this grant help?

15

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

One heartwarming story from our Barkinglot event involves a bonded pair of adult cats, Lemon (first photo) and Mullberry (second photo). We knew finding a home for them together would be a challenge. During the event, several community members came to support our organization, even if they weren’t planning to adopt. One of these compassionate community members asked our shelter manager which cats would be hardest to adopt that day, and Lemon and Mullberry were the immediate choice due to their bonded status.

This community member generously offered to sponsor the remainder of their reduced adoption fee. Later that day, a woman came into the shelter considering adoption but unsure which cat to choose. When she heard about Lemon and Mullberry’s fully covered adoption fees and their need for a home together, she decided to foster-to-adopt the pair.

Thanks to the excitement generated by the event and the support of the Petfinder Foundation, these two special kitties found their new home together — a placement that might not have been possible otherwise. Seeing how the Petfinder Foundation and our community could work together to get pets homes was super special.