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November 1, 2015

PetSafe® Expert

Toni Mark, KPA-CTP, MA

How to Enrich Shelter Pets’ Lives

If you ask the staff here at PetSafe® brand what their favorite part of their job is, you’ll find that just about everyone incorporates their passion for dogs and cats. The desire to help the pet population runs deep within the company—even on a global level! PetSafe brand runs several programs where the sole mission is to help those pets that aren’t yet in their forever home.

PetSafe Brand Helps Pets Every Day

foster puppy socializing at workPetSafe brand has very successful donations and philanthropy funding efforts taking place every day. Last year we gave away more than 3.5 million dollars in grants and product donations! We’ve funded all kinds of life-saving efforts, including spay and neuter clinics, hoarding case assistance, a puppy NICU, shelter renovations, adoption vans, flood and other disaster assistance and much more.

With a super dedicated staff, we’ve also given countless hours of our own time volunteering to make the lives better for the homeless pets.

Here’s a fun fact about us at PetSafe brand-- some of our offices have been known to schedule a mid-day break for “puppy class”. “Puppy class” means someone is fostering a litter of puppies for a local organization and it’s time to socialize those puppies! We believe in proper training and socialization for dogs of all ages—and we definitely believe in having puppies around on lunch break!
 
busy buddy puzzle toysPetSafe Shelter Enrichment Program Keeps Shelter Dogs Busy Playing

The PetSafe Shelter Enrichment Program is another effort designed to help the homeless pet population. This program selects qualifying organizations and supports them by enriching the lives of the animals in their care. In order to accomplish this goal, we provide the shelter with products that will make the shelter a comfortable enriching temporary home while they wait for their forever home.

First, we provide toys to the dogs and cats in the program. Did you know that our Busy Buddy® line of toys are not only fun toys, but they are also enrichment devices and behavior solutions? If a dog is engaged in a toy, they are playing. Playing is therapeutic and fun (Win #1!). All of the Busy Buddy toys require the dog to figure out how to get the food out. This level of thinking keeps the animal busy and is incredibly mentally enriching (Win #2!).  Lastly, if a dog is engaged in chewing on a Busy Buddy toy, they aren’t learning inappropriate behaviors, like jumping on the kennel doors, chewing on inappropriate things or barking (Win #3!).

busy buddy toy in shelterWhen shelter dogs are regularly provided with mentally enriching durable toys, we see a transformation in the shelter. These toys contribute to creating a happy, mentally stimulated and relaxed population of dogs that are ready for their home as soon as it becomes available.

The San Diego Humane Society gives their dogs a tasty treat in some of our classic Busy Buddy toys. The Squirrel Dude toys are always a hit among the dogs! Although Sweety is an older boxer mix, her days are filled with fun until she finds her final “retirement home”.

harnesses for shelter dogsEncouraging Better Behavior to Get Shelter Dogs into Their Forever Homes

We also provide other behavior solutions like Gentle Leader® Headcollars and Easy Walk® Harnesses. There isn’t anything worse than a potential adopter getting dragged down the street by the dog of their dreams. It’s well known that better behaved dogs get adopted faster. By providing behavior solutions like Gentle Leader Headcollars and Easy Walk Harnesses, we contribute to a better behaved population of animals that are more easily adopted.

The Nashville Humane Association develops incredible behavior modification plans for any dog with behavior problems. It’s common for our toys and other training products to be part of that plan. Regardless of their behavior needs, each and every dog has a mentally stimulating environment with our Busy Buddy toys!

We’re thrilled to help our partner organizations make their shelters happy temporary homes for their animal guests while they wait to find forever homes. Even on our hardest days here at PetSafe brand, we’re proud to keep doing the work we’re doing because of the animals it truly benefits.

toys for shelter dogs

Written by

Toni Mark, KPA-CTP, MA

Toni Mark, KPA-CTP, MA

PetSafe® Training & Behavior Education

PetSafe® Expert

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