Lakeshore Humane Society, Inc.: COVID-19 Operation Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
The money provided through the Petfinder Foundation's Covid-19 operations grant was used to purchase necessary supplies, food, vaccines and medical care for our adoptable pets.
During these unprecedented times, donations have been down and volunteer hours limited, yet our staff still has a commitment to care for our community's lost and homeless animals. The Petfinder Foundation's Covid-19 operations grant has helped us bridge this gap and provide these animals with adequate food and water daily, a clean environment to live in and proper veterinary care as needed. We have had several animals enter the shelter in the past few months who have required special care over and above their basic needs, which the Petfinder Foundation grant has been essential in helping to cover. Please see the stories below for details on these special animals.
How many pets did this grant help?
The Petfinder Foundation's Covid-19 operations grant was anticipated to help approximately four animals. Given the level of care some of the animals entering the shelter have required, this grant has helped three animals receive the special care they need to live healthy and happy lives.
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
Shelter staff were recently called to a home at which a special-needs dog was left unattended due to his owner being hospitalized. Duke, a yellow Lab mix (first photo), has severe mobility issues which require medication and a special diet. We are currently caring for him and providing his medications and specialty food until he can be reunited with his owner once her health issues have been resolved and she is able to return home. The photo shows Duke spending time with some of our youngest volunteers in his favorite stroller, basking in the sunshine! The generosity of the Petfinder Foundation has helped us care for Duke in this difficult time.
Sheree (second photo) is a special-needs cat who was surrendered to our shelter by her family because they lacked the resources to provide her with specialized care for a birth defect that left her hind legs twisted. Despite this, Sheree received daily care while at our shelter until she was transferred to another facility. It was here that she found a loving group of volunteers who donated a special wheelchair and ultimately found her the forever home she deserves! Thanks to the Petfinder Foundation, our shelter was able to provide for Sheree, now named Faith, until we partnered with another facility that found her a forever home.
Breezy (third and fourth photos) came to the shelter just before we submitted the application for this grant. In addition to routine care, she needed medical attention for hip dysplasia, dental disease, and skin and ear infections. Breezy had been kept in a shed for several years, receiving only scraps or low-quality food. Thanks to the help of the Petfinder Foundation, Breezy underwent extraction of several of her teeth, treatment for severe ear infections, and the removal of multiple tumors. Although she will require lifelong pain management, she is now living her best life in a permanent foster home, as you can see in the photos.
