League Receives $25,000 Pedigree Foundation Grant for Behavioral Rehabilitation of Dogs

December 02, 2010

The PEDIGREE Foundation has chosen the Washington Animal Rescue League (the League) to be one of ten organizations to receive one of its Innovation Grants to increase dog adoptions.  In the case of the League, the funds will be used to enhance the work of the behavior and training department, which helps homeless and abandoned dogs overcome behavioral obstacles to adoption such as lack of socialization, food and toy guarding, extreme shyness, and fear of people and new situations.

The training department consists of four professional, certified trainers, whose work is supported by a specially trained corps of about 20 volunteers.

“The League takes in animals who have nowhere else to go, and the rehabilitation of many of them can be challenging,”  Dr. Gary Weitzman, the League’s CEO, points out. “We have to take a comprehensive, holistic approach to helping some of the dogs become suitable companions.  This often entails a lot of effort by our behavior and training specialists, so we are very grateful for the Pedigree Foundation’s grant.  It will help us find more great homes for great dogs.”

The PEDIGREE Foundation awarded a total of $226,000 in grant money to selected shelters and rescues across the country to help increase dog adoptions.  Other recipients include:
• Central Missouri Humane Society - Columbia, MO
• Charleston Animal Society - North Charleston, SC
• Dubuque Regional Humane Society - Dubuque, IA
• Houston Humane Society - Houston, TX
• LA Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal - Los Angeles, CA
• Leon County Humane Society - Tallahassee, FL
• Muttville - San Francisco, CA
• North Shore Animal League America - Port Washington, NY
• West Suburban Humane Society - Downers Grove, IL

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About the Washington Animal Rescue League:
The League is the oldest animal shelter in the District of Columbia and has a mission to rescue, rehabilitate, and re-home animals who have nowhere else to go.  Its facility is painstakingly designed from the animals’ point of view to make it one of the most humane animal shelters in the world.  The full-service Medical Center serves the companion animals of low-income area residents, as well as shelter animals. The League is located at 71 Oglethorpe Street, NW, Washington, DC. For more information, visit http://www.warl.org.

About the PEDIGREE Foundation:
Through no fault of their own, nearly four million dogs end up in shelters every year, and only half ever make it out. That’s why in 2006, the PEDIGREE® Brand started the PEDIGREE® Adoption Drive and in 2008 formed its own foundation. The PEDIGREE Foundation, a 501(c)(3)charity, is dedicated to helping dogs in need find loving homes by supporting the good work of shelters and breed rescue organizations throughout the country. As part of its ongoing commitment to this cause, the PEDIGREE® Brand has raised more than $6 million dollars to date, and the PEDIGREE Foundation has awarded $2 million dollars since its inception in 2008. This year alone, the Foundation has awarded nearly $976,000 to 1,147 non-profit shelters and dog rescues. For more information about The PEDIGREE Foundation, log on to http://www.pedigreefoundation.org/.