A week ago I could not have imagined offering ‘giveaways’ like I am today—geeze, last week I didn’t even know what a giveaway was. And, how silly is this? It never occurred to me to use my blog to raise funds for animal rescue and adoption. I mean, how much good could I, one blogger out of bazillions in the blogosphere, do all by myself. Well, now I won’t have to find out because I am not alone. And neither are you!
You see last Saturday I happened upon a quartet of pet blogerati at BlogPaws 2010, the 
first ever conference for pet bloggers. (The lovely photo is by dogtipper.com). During their presentation they issued a rallying cry in the spirit of Mahatma Ghandi and Margaret Mead. “Be the change you want to see” and, while you’re at it, remember this: “A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
If you’re a child of the 60’s and 70’s like I am, you’ve heard it all before. Yawn. But, this was different. The quartet, Dr. Jessica Vogelsang, DMV (Pawcurious.com), Jane Harrell (Petfinder.com), Lynn Haigh (PawPawty.com), and Dorian Wagner (YourDailyCute.com), love, LOVE I tell you, animals! And so do I. (And, probably, so do you). So all that stuff about “be the change” and “a small group of thoughtful people” began to take on refreshed meaning.
Today, Friday, April 16, 2010, is “Be the Change Blog Post Day!” (So declared at Blog Paws 2010.) As far as we know, an organized fundraising event this huge across this many blogs has never happened before for animals! Together with other pet lovers we can focus our energy as intensely as a thousand Sadies riveting their eyes on their tennis balls, to help Pets Without Parents (more about them below) find forever homes for rescued dogs and cats.
Just one thing more before we move to the fun stuff. If you aren’t quite convinced that it only takes a small group of people to ‘be the change.’ If you’ re hanging back and want a boost. Watch Lynn Haigh’s video and get juiced! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.) (Hint: Don’t hesitate to pause it from time to time. It goes by fast. And, oh yeah, you’ll need a kleenex.)
Pets Without Parents
Pets Without Parents was selected to be the recipient of this fund drive at the “Be the
Take me home, pleezz
Change” panel at BlogPaws 2010. It’s “a no-kill, nonprofit shelter for dogs and cats located in the Clintonville area of Columbus, Ohio. Pets Without Parents receives no tax funding and exists solely on the generosity of the community.”
Pets without Parents aims to “…to place every pet that enters our shelter into a loving, permanent home; and to motivate our local community to support our shelter, its no-kill mission, and spay-neuter efforts through donation, volunteer, and adoption opportunities…until every pet goes home.”
Is there room for me in your family?
You can find out more about them on their website: www.petswithoutparents.net.
If you would like to donate, doing so through firstgiving (below) is simple, fast, and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to support our fundraising efforts.
The Giveaway! Boulder Dog Food Company Treats from PC’s Pantry
We have two giveaways: #1 Chicken Bits & Bison Biscotti and #2 Bison Party Mix.
Giveaway 1: Bison Biscotti & Chicken Bits
These goodies were donated by Mary Lee, the owner of PC’s Pantry. They are all natural and the bison and chicken were raised in the USA without antibiotics or added hormones.
Giveaway 2: Bison Party Mix
My dogs and I have been shopping at PC’s since Mary Lee opened the store more than ten years ago. I wrote about PC’s in “What Makes Your Dog Really Happy?” because going into PC’s sends Sadie into her rapturous wiggle-butt dance. Sadie told me to tell you that even though PC’s is always busy, Colleen, Sadie’s favorite sales person since puppyhood, finds time to give her fresh-baked treats. Personally, I like the graham cracker cookies. Yum.
And, Mary Lee knows about rescuing animals! That what she does. She can’t help it. There was Lyle the cat who was 18 years old when Mary Lee took him off the streets of Denver. He lived to be 22. Then there was Maggie the Golden Retriever. A man asked Mary Lee to doggie sit for Maggie for 2 weeks. He never came back for her. Same with Whiskers, the cat. Poor Ralphie, a St. Bernard Neopolitan Mastiff mix, was found running loose with a rope around his neck. Mary Lee took him in–huge medical problems and all. Ralphie isn’t with us anymore, but he is immortalized in Amanda Jones‘ book of photographs, A Breed Apart.
Then, of course, there was PC for whom the shop is named. PC had a deformed kidney and Mary Lee gave him subcutaneous fluids twice a day for the last 6 months of his
Forrest greets customers
life. Most recently Forest has joined the long line of Mary Lee’s rescues. He’s had serious disabilities from the start. In fact, he went in for major surgery on his leg on Wednesday. I hope he’s doing well.
How to Get the Giveaway Goodies
It’s easy. Just reply to this post saying “I want the goodies!” Each reply will receive a number (1,2,3…) in the order in which it’s received. A random number generator will determine the order of the numbered replies. The top two will receive one of the two giveaways, either the Bison Party Mix or the Bison Liver Biscotti and Chicken Bits. I’ll email you to inform you that you have won. You have 24 hours to reply telling me that you accept the giveaway. If you do not reply saying that you accept the giveaway, the goodies will go to the next number on the randomly generated list. The giveaway closes at midnight (MDT), Saturday, April 17. Don’t be late!
The two winners, after they have accepted the giveaway, will be announced in a post on my blog.
BONUS: If you want to give your favorite rescues an online boost by helping them to be more easily seen by Google and other search engines, include their web URL in your reply. Search engines love links from one website to another about as much as Sadie loves her liver biscotti. By including the URL (http://…..) in your reply you can increase your favorite rescue(s) online visibility.
Okay. Now, let’s get started. Be the change!
Cheers to you for being the change! And I want the goodies! 🙂
Yay for being the change :D:D
We want the goodies.
Thank you. I want the goodies for one of the volunteers at http://animal-outreach.org who donates her time and energy for us.
Excellent post! It’s so great to take part in “Be the Change,” isn’t it? Thanks for the giveaway, not that getting something is the goal of my comment. It’s just nice to see people stepping beyond what they knew they could do, myself included. We’re all winners today. 🙂
Thank you! And just to be sure. If you want the goodies please reply to this comment with “I want the goodies” in the body of yours. Really, it’s okay to want the goodies 🙂
Fair enough. “I want the goodies!” LOL. And my local rescue organization is http://www.AnimaLovers.org. 🙂
awesome! I want the goodies!
[…] Boulder Dog — Deborah is giving away goodies in the name of Be the Change, but you have to ask. […]
Spunky, Snarf & Rufus want the goodies! Happy #BeTheChange Day! ^_^
Yay! Good for you 🙂 That is a very cool giveaway. I would want them if I had dogs. But I’m blogging and helping with Be The Change too 🙂
This is a fabulous post! And giveaways even!
I’m so loving today. Just in incredible awe of the outpouring of support and all the great people in our pet-loving community. Be the change, indeed!
P.S. You’re on the list now! 🙂
I want the goodies!
And, I’d like to introduce everyone to the All Breed Rescue Network (in Colorado)
http://www.allbreedrescuenetwork.com/
Yes! I want the goodies!
Thanks for the post because I had NO idea that anyone made Liver Biscotti besides Premier Pet Products. Since Premier’s merger with RSC, a shock collar company, we no longer carry their products. This is great news for all of the Liver Biscotti lovers!
That’s bad news. I didn’t know Premier Pet Products had merged with a RSC. I’m not familiar with RSC. “Royal Shock Collars”? (kidding). I can’t tell from your reply whether or not you want to be entered in the giveaway. If you do, please reply saying that you “want the goodies” so I know for sure. I’d hate to leave you out if you want to be in 🙂