Director's Corner
Dear Grey Muzzle Grantees,
This month, we continue our focus on adoption policies and practices that can help increase the number of animals who find loving homes. One of the biggest challenges we hear from our grantees--past and present--is how difficult it is to "market" senior dogs. Attracting prospective adopters who are interested in opening their homes to older pups can indeed be difficult. But I challenge all of us think about this problem from a different perspective.

How might our own policies and practices contribute to turning away people who could provide loving homes or discouraging those same people from even considering adoption? I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic and encourage those of you who have transitioned your adoption approaches to share your experience on our grantee-only Facebook group. And for those of you who are wary of a conversation-based approach, we want to hear your thoughts, too.

All of us at Grey Muzzle are committed to a community in which we can share our thoughts openly and learn and grow together. After all, our goal is the same: saving senior dogs and helping them thrive.

Sincerely,
Lisa Lunghofer, PhD
Executive Director
P.S. If you haven't already, please join our grantee-only Facebook group. We'll be discussing stories in this newsletter--and more--in that forum.
August Hot Topic: Does all that adoption screening really make a difference?
What does the research say about how we screen adopters? Do more rigorous (and arduous!) screening processes result in animals being placed in more loving homes?

This study compared two groups of adopters, one screened with a traditional approach (i.e., lengthy forms, landlord checks, introductions to current pets, etc.) and the other with a conversation-based approach. They found no difference between the groups in quality of care and attachment to the adopted animal.

Are we limiting our pool of adopters by screening out people who could provide loving homes to senior dogs?
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A New Approach to Adoption
Developed by the Humane Society of the United States, Adopters Welcome is an approach to adoptions that embraces community members, encourages them to adopt, and helps them and their pets succeed. It emphasizes how important it is for communities to work together to get animals into loving homes.

Read more about the approach and get answers to the most common questions about starting an Adopters Welcome program. And if you’re ready to dig in, this step-by-step plan makes transitioning to Adopters Welcome easy!
Professional Development Opportunity: Increasing Adoptions & Improving Client Service
Presented by: Jacksonville Humane Society (a two-time Grey Muzzle grantee!)
Facilitated by: Best Friends Animal Society
As we have begun to find our rhythm in this new time, we can share different ways that we navigated the murky waters of social distancing, safe-at-home orders and keeping our life-saving adoption programs going strong. With staff, volunteer and adopter safety in mind, hear how other shelters have transitioned to appointment-based models and worked within the community to break down barriers to adoption.


When: Wednesday, August 26 at 3 pm ET / 2 pm CT 
Grant Opportunities
Since 2013, Athletes for Animals has successfully connected athletes with a shared passion for animals, educated the public about responsible pet ownership, promoted pet adoption, raised funds and distributed grants to support best practices in animal welfare. Deadline for applications is September 15, 2020. Learn more...
Lazin Animal Foundation provides grants to organizations that need assistance caring for and protecting homeless and at-risk dogs from unnecessary suffering, euthanasia or relinquishment. Their core funding areas are: Urgent and Emergent Medical Care; Enrichment and Behavior Resources; and Capacity Building. Learn more about their guidelines...
Grantee Spotlight: Live Love Animal Rescue
Live Love Animal Rescue is a three-time Grey Muzzle grantee. This foster-based rescue serves Los Angeles County and Orange County, two of the three most populous counties in California. In the past, they have received Grey Muzzle funding to help expand their capacity for rescuing senior dogs, particularly where medical care is concerned. This year, they will also use part of their grant to find positive and creative ways to market senior dogs.

Are we looking for reasons to not adopt?
Have you seen the PSA from CARE (Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity) for animal shelter and rescue organizations?
 
This powerful two-minute video demonstrates the reason to shift toward a more inclusive and welcoming approach for potential adopters. Their message, “We must remove barriers to save more lives.”
The Grey Muzzle Organization | Website