Director's Corner

Greetings,

This month we're focused on recruiting fosters and adopters. What can we learn from one another about what works?  As always, we'd love to hear about your innovative programs! Please share your experiences on our Grantee Facebook Group page and feel free to reach out to me if you'd like to be featured in a future Director's Corner. Thanks for all you do to make life better for senior dogs. The more we can learn from one another, the more we can help senior dogs.

Lisa Lunghofer, PhD Executive Director

Words matter: Focus on the positive!

In the human services field, person-centered language is focused on choosing words that respect every individual's dignity, unique qualities, and strengths. So how can we use this concept to help find fosters or adopters for senior dogs who may be more difficult to place? Simply changing a word or two can make a big difference! Find out how

Grantee Spotlight: How One Tail at A Time Recruited 75 Fosters in One Day

It's a challenge many of us have faced over the past six months: Shelters are filling up and fosters are returning to pre-pandemic routines. The result is a pressing need for more foster homes. One Tail at a Time needed to act, so they held a foster open house. In just a few hours, they onboarded 75 new fosters! Read 5 keys to success

If your organization has a clever spin on a lifesaving program for senior dogs or is currently running a fresh take on a program and you are seeing great results, please post any ideas/acclaims to the Facebook page.

Adoption Incentives: Can They Work?

Several grantees provide incentives to senior dog adopters, including offering to cover post-adoption veterinary costs. Friends of Homeless Animals (FOHA) in Aldie, Virginia offers a Senior Care Plan to promote the adoption of dogs 8 years or older. Adoption fees are waived and adopters can receive reimbursement for up to $1,500 in approved medical expenses. Since beginning the program in 2018, they have placed 41 senior dogs in forever homes.

Learn about adoption incentives at work

It Takes a Village: Any California Connections?

NorCal Boxer Rescue (NCBR) in northern California received a special Grey Muzzle Learning Partnership grant to develop and launch "Growing Old with You," a program aimed at supporting shelters to help prevent the surrender of senior boxers or get them into homes more quickly. The program builds on NCBR's success covering adopters' post-adoption veterinary expenses. The idea is to prevent boxers from coming into a shelter in the first place or help shelters to get boxers into homes more quickly (without having to transfer them to a rescue) by covering up to $1,000 in veterinary expenses. Here's where we could use some help. NCBR has had difficulty finding shelters in northern CA that are interested in collaborating. In addition to shelters, they are open to working with other partners (e.g., low-cost clinics, other rescues) that have access to boxers who would benefit from the support they can offer. They can also directly support senior boxer owners who need financial help with vet care in order to keep their pets.  If you have suggestions, please reach out to Rebecca. Get to know the program

The Grey Muzzle Organization | Website

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