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In this Issue: Online Auction, SWD Work weekend, Grant deadlines, Fundraising Ideas, and more!

It’s Time for our AUCTION!

Our first annual Fall Silent Auction is almost here! The auction will be open on September 6 at 12 pm and will close on September 16 at 8pm. This will be our largest fundraiser for the year and we hope to generate enough funds for upcoming tours and to offer emergency assistance for our shelter partners where needed.

Check out our auction link to view some of the AMAZING items donors have donated (and share it with others!):

https://whowillletthedogsout.betterworld.org/auctions/fall-silent-auction

Don’t need any items but still want to help? Check out the different impact items at the bottom of the auction site to help us help shelters across the US!

Our online auction will be available to anyone across the US, as all items can be shipped. If you have an item you would like to donate, there is still time! Please emailauction@whowillletthedogsout.org,with a description of the item and a picture.

All proceeds will go directly to our mission of raising awareness and resources for homeless dogs and the people who fight for them. Help us to make this a great first auction and raise funds to grow and do more!

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Work Weekend at Saving Webster Dogs!

Earlier this month we joined forces with two other advocacy organizations, Tails of Hope and For Otis’ Sake, to sponsor a work weekend at Saving Webster Dogs in Cowen, West Virginia. SWD is a private rescue run by a single individual that effectively acts as the county shelter (the county ACO brings the dogs to the rescue rather than the county pound, which is reportedly uninhabitable). Like so many rescues and shelters, SWD is inundated with dogs and currently housing nearly 100 in outdoor kennels and on tie-outs.

Our mission was twofold at SWD – to document and treat all the dogs (vaccinations, flea treatments, deworming, pictures, bios) so that they could be made available for rescues to pull, and to improve the conditions for the dogs, many of which were living in mud.

About twenty of us worked in the heat and rain and accomplished a great deal not just moving many of the dogs out of the mud onto concrete floored kennels or ‘pallets and pavers’(a temporary fix by placing pavers on top of pallets to create a raised, dry surface), but also finishing a partially constructed work shed, creating a watering system to make it easier to get fresh water to all the dogs, and disinfecting dog houses, doing general clean up.

Nearly every dog was documented in pictures and writing, vaccinated, treated for fleas, and dewormed.

And at last count, three weeks out, 40 dogs have been pulled by rescue or are awaiting a scheduled transport!

So much about the situation in Webster County is not acceptable, and there was so much else we wished we could have done. Still, the dogs were more comfortable and have a better chance at getting into forever homes because of the efforts of so many hard-working volunteers. Tails of Hope is already organizing another weekend in October, so if you’d like to lend a paw to help out at Saving Webster Dogs, be sure to contact them.

Cara didn’t just bring home muddy boots from our work weekend, she also brought home two amazing dogs to foster. Read about them here.

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Resources and Grants

(to find our entire list of resources and grants, visit the Who Will Let the Dogs Out Resource Guide)

BissellPet Foundation

One thing you can do right now to raise funds for your rescue: Become aBissellPet Foundation Partner to be eligible for grants and other resources after six months.

If you look on almost any rescue or shelter Facebook page, you will see theBisselllogo.In 2021,BissellPet Foundation awarded$16,311,015 to5,453 Partner Organizations in all 50 states.To be eligible forBissell’s programs, you must apply for and be a member of their Partners for Pets (P4P) network forsix months. P4P benefits include eligibility to apply for partners grants and financial support in emergencies; the opportunity to participate in the Empty the Shelters, Feed the Shelters and Grateful Pet programs; chance to win funding through giveaways and sweepstakes; and valuable connections to Bissell’s large partner network. Go here for more info and to apply.

ATHLETES FOR ANIMALS

FALL GRANTS DUE SEPTEMBER 15BY SNAIL MAIL,SO START NOW!!

Athletes for Animals connects athletes with a shared passion for animals, educates the public about responsible pet ownership, promotes pet adoption, raises funds and distributes grants to support best practices in animal welfare. Since its inception in 2013, A4A has awarded over $1 million dollars in grant funding to shelters and rescue groups across North America. These resources have helped support organizations with spay/neuter/vaccination funding, TNR outreach programs, adoption, enrichment and retention programs, community outreach & education efforts and extraordinary vet expenses.Typical grant funding ranges between $500-$2,500. Applicants must be anon-profit organization with proof of 501(c)3 status or a pending application for exemption with the IRS.

Go here for more information and to apply.https://athletesforanimals.org/our-reach/apply-for-grants/

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Fundraising ideas

Host a Pet Raffle

Everyone loves charity raffles, and they take only a little effort. Secure pet-friendly prizes from local sponsors, enough to put together a basket of goodies (or maybe two – one for cat lovers and one for dog lovers!). Items could be cat trees, dog beds, food, treats, toys, vet services, or pet grooming and boarding passes. If you don’t have the time to secure in-kind donations for a pet raffle,online 50/50 rafflesare another option. Ask popular coffee shops or grocery stores if you can sell tickets there, and ask a child or a local celebrity to choose the winning ticket live on Facebook (or even better, at an adoption event!).

Get Your Local Schools Involved

It’s back-to-school time, so help kids learn about shelter dogs and invite them to host a donation drive or raise money for dog food with spare change. Email the school principal and or Parent/Teacher organization. Another option would be to partner with your elementary schools and have each grade or class focus on one pet at your shelter – writing bios, collecting donations, spreading the word. Kids can raise donations of pet supplies and spare change for “their” pet. This not only contributes to your fundraising goals, but it also makes great PR for the shelter and teaches students important lessons about animal care and responsibility. At the conclusion, if possible, bring the featured animal to visit their classroom (or zoom with them).

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Great Idea of the month

Post your own version of this friendly, but important reminder in a common area of your facility or on your social media (and share a story of why this message is so important):

Amber’s Halfway Home

Produced in partnership withFarnival Films, our Emmy-nominated, award-winning short documentary tells the story of rescue in the dog pounds of western Tennessee.

To date, Amber’s Halfway Home has been nominated for an Emmy Award, selected for fifteen film festivals and won eight awards (including Best Short Documentary, Best Audio, Best Soundtrack, Audience Choice, and Best of Fest).

We hope you will watch it and share it with family and friends. Help us use this film as a vehicle for change.

Look for us a the Loudoun Pet Expo on Sunday September 11 from 10am-4pm. We’ll be there with adoptable dogs, t-shirts, and information! Click HERE for details about this annual event!

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Awareness brings change: We believe the problem of so many adoptable dogs suffering and dying in shelters doesn’t exist because people don’t care, it happens because people don’t know.

Help us tell them.