The Caplan Bensley Foundation is establishing Canine Residences in Supporting People (CRiSP) grant program to help vulnerable dogs along with their families.
CBF provides grants to nonprofit rescue organizations for the sole purpose of rehoming and placement of dogs for those owners who are no longer able to care for their pet dog due to physical difficulties or other non-financial hardships.
This mutually beneficial arrangement includes regular visits by the re-homer with the dog owner, to preserve the lifelong bond, and provides the pet dog with a permanent loving home rather than being forced to live in an animal shelter or abandoned.
Canine-focused rescue organizations need to implement a rigorous process to identify qualified households who will provide a safe comfortable and loving home as well as regular visitations to the dog owner.
They will facilitate and oversee the relationship between the most appropriate re-homer and the dog owner who cannot care for their pet dog for other than financial reasons.
Rescue organizations will coordinate between dog owners and re-homers who provide the owner’s dogs a permanent loving home as well as regular visits with owners who wish to continue preserving their lifelong bond.
CBF strives to keep these vulnerable dogs together with their original owners through regularly scheduled visits, rather than breaking this bond when the family pet dog is abandoned or placed in an animal shelter.
CRiSP grants are distributed directly to each participating rescue establishment based on
the number of dogs that are rehomed successfully on an annual basis.
Grants are used to cover typical administrative and management costs associated with identifying, selecting and vetting qualified households as re-homers; as well as coordinating and overseeing the interactions between dog owners and rehoming providers.
CRiSP grants are available to support rehoming programs that accommodate Living Owners with disabilities who are incapable of caring for their pet dog but still seek to maintain their lifelong bond through regular visitations; and those preparing for end-of-life who are looking
to establish a Legacy Memorial.
Interested rescue organizations can apply at www.CaplanBensley.org for these grants by completing and submitting a CRiSP application online.
Rescue facilities renew their grants annually by submitting a CRiSP Year-End Summary that lists all rehoming successes for dog owner beneficiaries. This information will be used to determine the grant award for the following year.
Canine Rescue organizations will identify qualified households and facilitate the rehoming of dogs. They will thoroughly screen and vet potential re-homers to ensure their suitability as a provider of a loving, safe, caring home for the owner’s pet dog.
Dog owners looking to benefit can apply directly to the rescue facility and provide necessary information regarding their incapacitation and financial status. All medical and financial information submitted will be reviewed to establish eligibility.
Rescue facilities will interface directly with both the re-homers and dog owners to align their mutual interests and oversee continued compliance. Visitation, financial and other obligations will be formalized and documented by both the re-homer and dog owner, including disengagement should the situation of either party change.
These relationships will be overseen by the rescue facility to ensure the owner’s desires are met while alive, and after passing away, and confirm the fulfillment of any special owner requests until the pet dog’s demise. This includes coordinating visits, feeding, veterinary care, grooming, exercising, and end-of-life considerations, etc.
Rescue facilities will establish relationships with estate attorneys and financial planners as a source of dog owners for the re-homers as well as potential sources of future contributions and endowments from the grateful dog owner.
To encourage re-homers to provide community service upon the owner’s demise, the CBF will provide additional grants through the rescue facility. This service will include offering emotional support visits to patients in hospitals and other medical facilities with the dog’s jacket displaying the owner’s name, to serve as a memorial.