Helping out
Want to help out? So you can't take in a
dog? Well, we and the dogs still need you! These are ways to help
best, and we need it all...
1.) Stuff... namely:
Dry Food- please no 'ol' Roy' or 'No
name.'
*Road Apples, in Voyageur Estates, has
generously offered to help us out with better quality food. If you are
unsure of what you can do, please consider donating money on the Paws Across
Borders account there, and we can go in and get a deep discount. If you
would like to buy a single bag for us from there, tell them it is for us, and
they will put 5 dollars of every bag back toward the purchase of more food.
Clean Blankets- old comforters, old
blankets, even large old towels,
Biscuits- Mmmmm, cookies. Any
will do!
Toys- Every dog likes to have some
toys, and while we have an ample supply of tennis balls (A special thank you to
Michelle Karis), we need pretty much anything you can think of: Rope toys, kongs,
nylabones, some squeekies, and Wubbas.
Crates- Larger sizes preferred.
When dogs are in Foster homes, they will need to be in crates for a bit, so we
need to have a pool of kennels for distribution.
Donations can be dropped off to Dan Ross (email
here: dan_ian_ross@yahoo.com) or it can be arranged to have them picked
up.
2. Cash. We have vet bills,
transport bills, occasional boarding fees, and food if we don't have enough
donated food. This money has to come from somewhere and the adoption fees
don't always cover it all. This is a non-profit organization; we are doing
this to help, not to make money. We will be a registered charity soon, and
with that status comes the ability to issue tax-deductible receipts. A
pay-pal account will be set up in the future to simplify the process.
3. Foster Homes: Folks, we need
your help! We are bringing the dogs here, but the more help looking after
them, the more we can save. Fostering involves bringing the dog into your
home and treating it like your own until a forever home can be found.
We'll pay any vet bills and can also provide food if desired. After a
brief meeting, you'll receive your approval and you can look after a dog that
desperately needs your love and guidance. I can honestly tell you, there
is nothing more satisfying than seeing a dog that finds its forever home.
The smile and gratitude on the dog's face will melt your heart. Knowing
you were able to give that dog a second chance, when without your help, it would
have been killed for no other reason than there was no space left at the "dog
dump".
Normal time-range in foster is 2 weeks to 2
months. There are a lot of people that can't bear to get emotionally
attached, so they don't foster for that reason. A little bit of heartache
on your part saves a life; doing nothing means that is one less dog that made it
out alive. It is bittersweet... you grow to love the dog, but you are so
happy to see the dog in a home where it will be forever. But there are
many more out there that need you, so pull up your socks and volunteer to help
us out!
4. Transport: Dogs need to get
from point A to point B and sometimes to C and D. We need some help with
that. We'll help with gas! Most dogs come via New Hampshire, so anyone
that is going skiing, shopping, travelling or snow-birding, feel free to grab a
dog and bring it with you on the way back. All dogs will be vaccinated,
and have their papers necessary for border crossing. We hope to get a van
in the future, but for now, we are relying on volunteers able to help.
Our two limiting factors here are fosters and
transport. The more volunteers we have, the bigger difference we can make.
Thanks for your time!