Contributed Photo
A dog plays with a Kong pet toy at the Humane Educational Society.Kong pet toys are praised for their durable construction and ability to keep bored animals engaged both mentally and physically.
Both qualities make them highly desirable as enrichment tools at animal shelters, said Guy Bilyeu, executive director of the Humane Educational Society, which has about five Kongs to share among its 350 charges.
At about $20 a piece, Kong toys are prohibitively expensive for an organization such as HES, but thanks to Kong Co.'s Seconds program, nonprofit organizations can purchase Kong toys with slight manufacturing defects at an 85 percent discount.
HES is taking advantage of this decreased price to put a Kong in every mouth, which will require raising about $2,000 in donations, Bilyeu said.
"Before, we were only able to afford one or two, or sometimes people might bring one in, so only a few animals could get them," Bilyeu said. "We can give them balls, but they'll tear the balls up, and you can't fill them with stuff. [Kongs] are so much better for them. They solve a lot of different problems for us."
HES is accepting tax-deductible donations to reach this goal. To contribute online, visit heschatt.com/help-donate.php and scroll down to the Enrichment Fund option.