Thank You for Everything You Do
We’re just past the halfway point of 2024 and it has been a remarkable year here at Joybound. Our rescue and adoption work is flourishing, our innovative new programs for pets and their families are thriving, and our commitment to our mission and community is stronger than ever. My deepest gratitude goes to the hundreds of dedicated volunteers, supporters, partners, and staff who worked tirelessly to achieve these remarkable results, and to the devoted donors who made it all possible.
Program Achievements and Opportunities
We measure Joybound’s performance in terms of “beneficial community impacts.” These key performance indicators are essential for evaluating how we’re advancing our mission in the communities we serve. Types of beneficial community impacts include:
- Rescues and adoptions
- Pet Hug Pack® visits
- Public training classes
- Vaccination clinic clients served
- Spay/neuter surgeries performed
- FoodShare distributions
- Volunteer engagements
In fiscal year 2023-24, Joybound achieved an incredible 83% year-over-year growth in beneficial community impacts. Our adoptions have risen by nearly 20% compared to the same period last year. This growth is even more gratifying given the national slowdown in shelter adoptions, particularly dog adoptions.
The Engelstad Grooming Academy has officially opened its doors. Joybound’s shelter guests are benefiting immensely from professional grooming, which refreshes their spirits, alleviates stress, and encourages adoption — all of which serve to reduce the length of their shelter stay. Following a successful soft public launch in June for staff and volunteer dogs, the academy is now open to the community for grooming and bathing appointments. Partnerships established with Trinity Center and Goodwill have generated referrals for our inaugural grooming school class cohort which started July 1st.
Joybound’s animal wellbeing and enrichment team has reintroduced Kitten Kindergarten. This beloved program, one of our public training classes, helps adopters bond with their new kittens and reduces feline returns by proactively addressing common behavior issues — a win for everyone involved.
Joybound in the Community
Joybound Around Town on Broadway, our annual friend-and-fund-raising event, was a resounding success, generating over $130,000 in sponsorships and contributions. Attendees enjoyed 40 educational booths, a popular pet costume contest and paw-parade, music, and face painting for both kids and kids at heart.
On Saturday, June 15, Joybound partnered with Antioch Animal Services to hold our monthly free vaccination clinic. Our Community Solutions and Clinic teams, along with volunteers, broke our clinic record by caring for 269 animals! The demand for vaccinations and microchips continues to grow, and we are actively expanding our free vaccination clinic program to better serve Contra Costa County.
In still more thrilling news, Joybound has been awarded a $700,000 grant from Contra Costa Animal Services. The award represents a powerful new collaboration with CCAS and signals strong confidence in Joybound’s capacity to effectively serve pet families in the county.
Once again, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude for your ongoing support and commitment to advancing and celebrating the human-animal bond. Your support is invaluable to our treasured community of pets and people who love them. I wish you a wonderful summer!
Susan Lee Vick, Joybound CEO
P.S. If you’d like to learn more about our plans for the next three to four years, and how we hold ourselves accountable for growth and improvement through beneficial community impacts, keep an eye out for the Joybound Strategic Plan, which will be released next month.
