Dumb Friends receives $500K for renovations

The Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation awarded a $500,000 grant benefiting the Dumb Friends League’s Building a Better Way Home capital campaign to expand and renovate the oldest and most heavily used areas of the Leslie A. Malone Center in Denver.

The award specifically supports the enhancement and expansion of the animal behavior areas, including housing that reduces fear and anxiety, an isolated wing for dogs learning to trust, and a separate area designed to create a calm space for cats.

These areas will enhance behavior training and care, which is critical to adopting safe animals into loving homes.

“We receive fearful cats and dogs that need a calm, quiet space where our behavior team can help them gain confidence and learn to trust,” Dumb Friends president and CEO Dr. Apryl Steele said.

“With this improved area, we will be able to provide enhanced care to these special needs animals which will help us build safer communities and provide new chances for homeless pets for decades to come.”

The Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation partners with animal welfare organizations to ensure they have the necessary resources they need to advance their work.

“Dumb Friends League’s longstanding commitment to exceptional care, alongside its vision to increase and enhance its behavioral services stood out to the foundation’s board,” said Lori Dresner, president of the Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation. “The state-of-the-art, improved facility will ensure that the League profoundly advances animal welfare into the future.”

The Dumb Friends League’s renovated behavior space is expected to be complete by late 2020. Learn more about the project and the agency’s work at ddfl.org.

Learn more about the Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation at dresnerfoundation.org.