The Home Depot Grant
I’m trying to fill out an online application to win a grant from Home Depot. The problem is, it only allows you so many words and it’s such a little box! Where do I start, and how can I explain to this huge corporation that The Dog Liberator should be chosen for their grant. I’m sure we will be competing with some big companies out there, and I’m sure that all of them need this grant, but I can’t help but believe that we need it more.
When I first met Gisele in 2009, she actually had a gorgeous yard. She was fostering Bonnie Belle at the time, and except for a small trench that Bonnie had made running back and forth all day long, Gisele’s yard was in great shape.
Today, after fostering hundreds of dogs, her yard is toast! Gaps in her fence have been repaired with wire ties, and holes where dogs have tried to dig out have been blocked by stepping-stones. The fence itself is less than four feet high, but somehow she has managed to deter notorious fence jumpers, like Little Grace, Gracie and McDreamy.
At this point, there is no grass whatsoever… only weeds, large areas of sand, and mud! The dogs track the dirt into the house… it’s a constant struggle.
If Gisele was a “normal” person, she’d be dreaming of a pool, with lush tropical plants, a garden for tomatoes and peppers, maybe a gazebo, and more tropical plants. But that’s not what she dreams of. Instead, she studies clips from The Dog Whisperer for design ideas. Cesar Milan’s Dog psychology center has everything a dog needs to be safe, have fun, and socialize – it’s low-maintenance, and it works.
I know that it won’t cost much for a professional Yard Crasher to transform her yard into a place where people can sit, interact with the foster dogs, a place where volunteers can come over and help with grooming, training and socialization. But without a grant and volunteers, it simply cannot be done.
When I started looking for ideas, I found a few helpful videos that I’d like to share with you!
DIY Dog Park Transformation
DIY Landscaping for Dog Owners
Gisele has successfully created stations in her home, indoors and outdoors.
- A safe place for puppies
- An ISO area for dogs that must be isolated (Parvo)
- A place for shy/fearful dogs in training
- A place for a well-balanced pack.
To be honest, I don’t know how she does it, but she does!
I am asking you to comment on this post, send us your ideas, let us know if you can help, but more importantly, help us tell Home Depot why they should award The Dog Liberator this grant. Â ~Dave
You can Follow Home Depot on Twitter, or Facebook and ask them to Award The Dog Liberator this year’s Grant!
4 thoughts on “The Home Depot Grant”
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Home Depot should award TDL the grant because they can help us provide the very things that many of our dogs could have used before they went to shelters. Every day dogs jump fences that are too low or squeeze through holes and either get hit by cars or end up in shelters. our rescue picks up the pieces when families don’t come for these pups. The last thing we would ever want is for one of our fosters to squeeze out and with the grant we could ensure tight fences.
Beyond just fences.
On their site Home Depot says they “provide the products and know-how to enable people to take their dreams for their homes into their own hands” and we hope they will be able to help us to help dogs dreams come true, and give them homes, the very thing Home depot seeks to make dreams come true in.
Additionally they have their “aprons in action” campaign and man, we’ve worn our aprons thin, if not straight through, many times over, and because of this hundreds of dogs now have safe and loving homes, when before they would have been dead.
essentially, they help build homes and we help complete them!
TDL has helped complete my home more than once. I have been to Giselle’s home which she has used as a landing pad for misplaced, healing, and abused pets. She is a selfless person who is preserving the lives of hundreds of dogs at the cost of her own home. She works relentlessly to find homes dogs she takes into hers. She finds homes for the ones that many won’t even take on. Her willingness to help lost and abandoned dogs has helped to complete hundreds of homes. Sure would be nice if a group like HD could help complete TDL’s for her and what she does. She helps make a house a home. Without people like her Home Depot would need to be House Depot. TDL is someone who gives back.
Thank you so much for your praise. We would love it if you could leave a review on our new Great Nonprofits page! http://greatnonprofits.org/org/dog-liberator-inc Thank you again.