Gilchrist Foundation Supports the Siouxland Humane Society
Every year approximately 6.3 million dogs and cats enter U.S. animal shelters, according to the ASPCA. But the good news is that shelters like the Siouxland Humane Society help re-home 4.1 million of those animals. Jocelyn Gilchrist, creator of the Gilchrist Foundation, loved animals and wildlife. The Gilchrist Foundation, which continues to support the philanthropic interests of Jocelyn and the Gilchrist family, is proud to be a long-term supporter the Siouxland Humane Society.
Founded in 1889, the Siouxland Humane Society’s mission is to provide services and programs that promote the humane treatment of animals in the Siouxland area. The Siouxland Humane Society is the area’s only open admission, full-service shelter. It cares for thousands of pets every year by finding forever homes for adoptable pets.
Recent Projects Funded by the Gilchrist Foundation
The Gilchrist Foundation awarded the Siouxland Humane Society a $10,000 project grant in 2021 for its Every Day, Every Dog, Let Them Play! project, which created outside fenced-in play areas for dogs and staff training to implement daily playgroups.
The Siouxland Humane Society states that the play group areas have been a tremendous success. The additional enrichment allows dogs to interact with each other and by doing so they improve their social manners and expend excess energy in a healthy way. The dogs are happier, healthier and have less stress while at the shelter, which also helps to reduce their stay at the shelter. And some dogs that were said to be not friendly with other dogs, thrived in play groups helping them find their forever home much quicker.
The daily playgroups have been a win-win for both people and dogs. Play groups have helped the staff make better adoption matches by allowing them to better assess dog-to-dog concerns, supply useful information about dogs beyond their dog-to-dog sociability and because they’ve been able to provide additional enrichment to the dogs. And the play area has boosted overall staff morale.
In 2019, the Foundation awarded the Siouxland Humane Society a project grant for $3,042 for the Laptop Lapdog! project which allowed the organization to purchase new laptops. The new laptops were used at off-site adoption events to show people all the available pets at the shelter, as well as completing adoption contracts onsite.
The laptops were also invaluable during the pandemic for holding Zoom meetings, which helped staff conduct business as usual. The laptops’ cameras allowed the Siouxland Humane Society to continue to meet and network with other animal welfare agencies, like the Iowa Federal of Humane Societies and the Tri-State Cooperative Coalition.
Siouxland Humane Society Offers Multiple Services and Programs
One of the Siouxland Humane Society’s goals is to provide education services and programs that focus on responsible pet ownership and care, including spaying and neutering pets, animal abuse and neglect and the role of the Humane Society in the community. Volunteers and staff visit schools and offer shelter tours for students. Teaching children and adults kindness to animals, instills a love of all life, both animal and human.
Some of their outstanding programs and services include:
Pets for Seniors: This program will match special need pets with senior citizens. Pets deemed special needs are older, have a handicap or for some other reason are deemed undesirable. They are a perfect match for seniors who don’t want to deal with the stress of puppies and kittens.
Veterinary Assistance: This program offers funding assistance for those who can’t afford veterinary treatment for their pets. The program pays the initial veterinary examination fee for sick or injured pets and/or assist pet owners with the payment of veterinary expenses for emergency treatment of their pets.
Food Bank: The food bank program helps pet owners who can’t afford dry food for their pets, on a temporary basis. The Food Bank is filled by donations and does not provide custom orders or specific brands.
Emergency Shelter: Free temporary boarding is provided to those who are in domestic violence situations and don’t want to leave their pets behind when seeking help for themselves. Free temporary boarding is also available for disasters, like house fires or flooding.
Microchipping: The Siouxland Humane Society provides pet microchipping through Home Again for $30 which includes the microchipping and registration of chip for life. Home Again microchipping helps find thousands of pets each month across the United States.
End of Life Services: The Siouxland Humane Society also provides end of life services for pet owners including cremation and pet loss support. Support includes available packets or options to visit with a trained volunteer.
About the Gilchrist Foundation
The Gilchrist Foundation was established by Jocelyn Gilchrist in December 1998 to honor her family and further their interests, which include wildlife and conservation, arts and public broadcasting and disaster relief. The first grants were made anonymously at the founder’s request, but after Ms. Gilchrist’s death in 2008, the name of the Foundation was used. The Foundation makes gifts to pre-selected charitable organizations whose missions align with the Foundation’s philanthropic interests. Each spring several charities are invited to submit applications for one of three types of grants: capital campaign grants, endowment grants, or special projects. Micro-grants of $5,000 or less can be requested year-round.
For more information about grants, contact Security National Bank at 712-277-6586 or wealth@snbonline.com.