BUSINESS - Petland Inc. Launches Petland Charities

Petland Inc. recently announced the launch of Petland Charities, a 501c3 organization that will raise funds for shelters and K9 units in the US.

Petland will invite customers to make donations to local shelter or K9 units throughout the year and Petland Charities will match customer donations up to $3,000 per store per year.

Petland Charities and the campaigns to raise funds for local shelters and K9 units will be introduced to the corporate stores in phases.

The first campaign launched May 1st with participating stores in Cicero, NY; Athens, OH; Chillicothe, OH; Dayton, OH; Gallipolis, OH; Grove City, OH; Heath, OH; Hilliard, OH; Lancaster, OH; Washington Court House; OH; and Monroeville, PA.

"We want to give these non-profits as much help as possible," said Edwin Sayres, executive director for Petland Charities. "All money raised from these campaigns will stay in these communities, ensuring local organizations receive the funds they need."

Petland will continue other corporate charitable giving, including promoting the adoption of homeless pets, granting children's pet-related wishes via the Make-A-Wish Foundation®, donating to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital®, paying for the training of service dogs for disabled veterans, donating food to K9 units and providing grants to teachers to purchase pets and pet supplies for the classroom.

"Petland has been giving back since the company was founded, so Petland Charities is simply an extension of our current efforts," Joe Watson, president and CEO of Petland, Inc. said.

"We take our role in the community very seriously and are excited to see the positive impact this new endeavor will have."

If your organization is interested in being considered for a charitable donation or you want more information, visit the Petland website.

North of the border, Petland Charities Canada has been supporting local communities and organizations, including flood relief, dog parks and more, for several years.

Without Help, Grande Prairie SPCA Closing Within Days

The Grande Prairie & District SPCA will be closing their doors by the end of the month, unless the City and County town councils agree to step in and help out at next week’s council session.

“The last meeting we had with the City and County has left us hopeful,” said Nell Martell, who came on board as fundraising and public relations manager for the non-profit animal shelter last December.

The shelter had an intake of around 1800 animals in 2015.

The SPCA is behind $100,000 in arrears to the Canada Revenue Agency, with a current frozen account and no ability to pay staff or continue operations. The deficit tally for the non-profit currently sits at a grand total of $250,000 – with only minimal grassroots donations chipping away.

According to the shelter’s Facebook page there has been “past mismanagement of the situation that led to the current crisis” - as written by current board president, Laurie Fisher on May 25, confirming that considerable staffing and operations cutbacks have been made since last year.

Fundraising revenues also fell drastically from $119,238 in 2014 to $43,248 last year, much of which may be attributed to the economic downturn.

Martell notes that the community has stepped up with an outpouring of support, from staff working on a volunteer-basis, to community members donating what they can, to adopting out existing shelter animals through a shelter drive – all in a time of economic uncertainty for Albertans.

“We’re down to 12 cats that need homes – that’s our greatest fear…where will these animals go without the SPCA?” said Martell, adding that while there are smaller shelters throughout the County, none would have the resources that the SPCA has, including the ability to assist with overflow from other shelters that are overcapacity; few of the smaller shelters would have the same ‘open door’ approach as a bigger centre like the SPCA would have.

The shelter’s reach extends far – and includes the expansive Grande Prairie County and reaching the B.C. border.

According to Martell, for the better part of the last decade the SPCA had the contract to run the Grande Prairie pound, as this was seen as a major cost and revenue savings to have both operations share space and resources.

The contract was not renewed last year and has been under the direction of the City since June 2015. As a result, the SPCA lost a long-time source of revenue ($531,394 in 2014); combined with mounting debt, the shelter has admitted to have gotten into “deep, deep debt.”

The hope is that the City and County will see the vital role the SPCA plays to animal rescue and rehoming for Grande Prairie and the surrounding county.

An appeal was made by the shelter board at The City of Grande Prairie community safety meeting held this week to request 75% (around $90,000) of all animal licensing revenues to help go toward the shortfall.

The shelter is also hopeful they can get the contract back to run the pound.

The Go Fund Me campaign currently sits at $15,875 – a far cry from its goal of $250,000.

Learn more on the Grande Prairie SPCA website.

By Lindsay Seewalt

Lindsay is an experienced journalist and mother of three whose heart and home is always open to a four-legged friend. With her Corgi, Angie, as household editor-in-chief, Lindsay gives back to the animal planet through the written word on anything and all ado about pets. She is passionate about topics regarding animal welfare and responsible pet ownership, which she aims to instill in both her readers and children to be compassionate animal lovers who are conscious and considerate that furry friends around the globe deserve a voice.

DIGITAL - New Facebook Resources for Non-Profits

Connecting with supporters on Facebook just got easier for non-profit organizations with the new website – nonprofits.fb.com.

“We hope this website will serve as a valuable resource for non-profits, regardless of their size, focus, or location. This is just the next step in our efforts to build tools and products to empower our global community to do even more good on Facebook,” Joanne Sprague, Marketing Manager for Social Good wrote in a blog post announcing the site.

An essential guide for organizations looking to create a presence or increase their presence, the site covers everything from getting started, to building a support network and utilizing the platform’s latest fundraising tools.

"We are constantly blown away by the ways people and organizations use Facebook — not just to connect, but to make an impact in their communities and around the world," wrote Sprague. "This is especially true of non-profits, who inspire us every day by raising awareness about their causes, activating supporters and raising the funds they need to support their organizations. We want to help non-profits use Facebook more effectively to achieve these goals."

Pets Plus Us Talks National Cupcake Day

With National Cupcake Day just two weeks from today, fundraising is well underway across the country. Individuals and businesses have been hosting cupcake sales for their local humane societies and SPCAs. 

Sponsors are an integral part of any fundraising event. Pets Plus Us, Gold Sponsor of National Cupcake Day, is a great example of the value of corporate support.

Randy Valpy & Bruin

This week on the Ontario SPCA's Animals' Voice podcast, Randy Valpy, 'Top Dog' at Pets Plus Us, shares why the company got involved with event and how they plan to celebrate it in their office. 

Listen to the podcast!

It's not too late to register, start baking and raise funds to support homeless, abused and injured animals. There are even great fundraising prizes for the top individual, community team and corporate team.

What's Up?! Share Events on InfoStream

Do you have an event, conference or educational opportunity you'd like to promote? Chances are, InfoStream readers are the perfect audience for it.

What's Up?! Urban Animal Calendar features a wide variety of animal industry events. You can find details about upcoming local, national and international pet industry trade shows, veterinary conferences, and animal welfare conferences. 

Share your event on InfoStream by sending the details to infostreameditor@gmail.com.

BC SPCA launches online emergency fund to save animal lives

The BC SPCA recently launched an addition to its website providing the public an opportunity to donate money to help care for injured or abused animals. 

The new site (www.spca.bc.ca/medicalemergency) profiles injured animals currently in the SPCA's care and encourages donors to become a part of their treatment and rehabilitation. The site will also post recovery updates so donors can see the difference their contribution has made. 

"The BC SPCA care for more than 25,000 injured, abused and abandoned animals every year across the province," said Shoni Field, director of fundraising operations and innovation for the BC SPCA. "Many of the animals require extensive - and expensive - emergency medical care and treatment, often exceeding the funds available in a shelter's regular medical budget. Our online site is a way for us to connect injured animals with compassionate individuals who help us save lives by donating to an animal's care."

READ THE NEWS RELEASE

National Cupcake Day a sweet success

The second annual National Cupcake Day™ took place February 24 with 59 participating societies and thousands of cupcakes. The event has raised nearly $300,000 already and donations are still rolling in at a rapid pace. 

National Cupcake Day™ is a first-ever, coordinated Canadian event to support local shelters, SPCAs and Humane Societies. In 2013, animal lovers across Canada raised over $400,000 to support their favourite societies. Funds raised from National Cupcake Day™ go back to help the shelters, clinics, inspectors and animals in communities across the country. 

Check out more photos collected during the event on Monday on Instagram. 

2014 National Cupcake Day

Registration has begun for 2014 National Cupcake Day.

A massive undertaking powered by the BC SPCA and the Ontario SPCA last year resulted in a nation-wide collaboration of humane societies and SPCAs and raised over $400,000 for local societies. 

National Cupcake Day was originally founded by the Royal SPCA in Australia where it has successfully raised over $1 million. The event raises funds to support homeless, abused and injured animals in Canadian humane societies and SPCAs by encouraging participants to bake cupcakes for others in exchange for a donation. 

Nearly 50 organizations across the country have registered to join in the 2014 campaign which will take place Monday, February 24, 2014. Registration for the event is free and be accessed HERE. 

KWHS believes Every Animal Deserves a Chance

The Kitchener-Waterloo Humane Society is reaching out to organizations and individuals to accomplish its goal of saving 1,200 animal lives in 2013. 

KWHS invested more than $250,000 into the Every Animal Deserves a Chance campaign and is seeking similar investments from the community. All money donated through the campaign goes directly to animal care and adoption programs. 

To make a donation call 519-745-5615 or Click here 

The KWHS is a registered charity and receives no government funding.

PetLand Charities donates $7,500 to Calgary dog park

PetLand Charities of Canada presented the City of Calgary with a cheque for more than $7,500 for the restoration of the Sue Higgins Park which was (and still is) affected by the Calgary Floods. 

In store fundraisers, donations and volunteer clean-ups have contributed to the park's clean up. Parts of the park are still closed and a planned Improvement Project was delayed after the floods last June. 

Sue Higgins Park is a 62-hectare greenspace in Calgary's southeast that offers pathways, hiking trails, a large off-leash area and much more. The mission of the Improvement Project is to enhance the park's natural environment and provide quality and compatible recreational activities by addressing the interests of the key park user groups, including off-leash, regional pathway users and nature enthusiasts. 

This project complies with the City's goals of integrating recreational areas with pet-friendly areas, an initiative presented to Urban Animal subscribers at the Prairie Regional Conference and the Summit for Urban Animal Strategies. 

VIEW THE PRESENTATION

OVC and Purina partner to promote cancer research

A new YouTube music video released today is intended to create awareness, raise funds and promote cancer research in cats and dogs. 

The Ontario Veterinary College Pet Trust Fund created the video "Keep Cancer on a Leash", which features dogs, including several cancer survivors, 'singing' in a recording studio. Purina Canada has sponsored the video and will match individual donations up to a total of $125,000. 

"The music video is really a tongues-and-tails wagging way to spread the word that, thanks to donations to OVC Pet Trust, we're making some amazing progress in treating different forms of cancer in pets," said Paul Woods, a clinical studies professor and co-director of OVC's Institute for Comparative Cancer Investigation. "And that holds tremendous promise in the fight against similar cancers in human beings." 

READ THE NEWS RELEASE

About OVC Pet Trust: 
Established in 1986, the OVC Pet Trust is Canada's first charitable fund devoted to the health and well-being of companion animals. Funding from the OVC Pet Trust has led to major improvements in anesthesia and pain control for pets, heart disease and heart monitoring techniques, dermatology, understanding the human animal bond and more. 

Record breaking 8,432 adoptions during Maddie's Pet Adoption Days

Nearly 8,500 cats and dogs found homes during the nationwide Maddie's Pet Adoption Days on June 1-2, 2013. Held in eight communities at 192 locations across the United States, it was the America's largest free pet adoption event. 

Reflecting Maddie's Fund's focus on pets who are traditionally harder to find homes for, 297 of the adopted pets were elderly dogs and cats, 2,829 had treatable medical conditions and 796 were elderly pets with treatable medical conditions. 

All adoption fees were waived during the event, with nearly $7 million awarded to participating shelters and rescue groups by Maddie's Fund. Each organization received $500 for every healthy adult dog or cat, $1,000 for every senior pet or pet with a treatable medical condition and $2,000 for every adopted dog or cat who was both a senior and had a treatable medical condition. 

READ THE NEWS RELEASE

Supporting the Underdog

A movement to support shelter dogs and adoption by publicly identifying and celebrating the rescue dog is gaining popularity in North America. 

Project Blue Collar® was created to change the perception of shelter dogs from being damaged to being priceless and to educate and inspire others to give shelter dogs a chance. The Project promotes the mantra "Support the Underdog®", which it proudly displays on the blue silicone collars. For every collar sold, the Project donates a collar to its Shelter of the Month partner for them to sell and keep 100% of the revenue. 

The organic, made in the USA, collar retails for $10 online at projectbluecollar.com. Since launching in October 2012, over 2,100 dogs have been Blue Collared in 35 states and four countries.  

CPS Canine Calendar set to raise $25,000

The Calgary Police Service is unveiling its first ever charity calendar for 2014, featuring almost all of the Canine Unit's 19 dogs. 

A Global News article reports the CPS Canine Unit attends more than 8,000 police-related calls every year and have responded to about 4,200 calls this year alone, with the dogs being deployed in more than half those cases. 

Money raised from calendar sales will go towards the Calgary Police Foundation, which helps fund programs that focus on education, prevention and early intervention. Twenty-five hundred limited edition calendars are available for $10 online or at several businesses while supplies last. 

Petland Charities pitches in to clean up Sue Higgins dog park

Petland Charities and the City of Calgary are partnering to mobilize a clean-up effort of Sue Higgins Dog Park which was affected by flooding in Calgary in June.

Park clean-up is scheduled for Tuesday, August 20 when pre-registered volunteers will assist in cleaning up debris, repairing fences and bringing the popular park back to Calgarian dog owners. Over 90 per cent of the fences in the park were damaged and roughly 70 per cent were destroyed. Presently, only portions of the park have reopened to the public. 

Justin Brown, superintendent of parks for the City of Calgary, told the Calgary Herald the park was significantly damaged by the flood waters. 

"The entire park was actually under water during high water mark,"he said. "We'll be down here all year, that's for sure."  

In conjunction with the volunteer clean-up, Petland stores in Calgary also hosted an in-store fundraising campaign earlier this month. A sticker campaign and Greenies (Mars PetCare) brand donations raised funds for Petland Charities which provided money to help clean up the dog park. 

Photo Credit

"Vets in Action Day" supports SPCA animals in B.C.

Local veterinarians are coming together this Sunday, August 18, to provide care for animals at the Burnaby SPCA shelter. 

"Vets in Action Day", the first of its kind in British Columbia, is hosted and sponsored by Burnaby Veterinary Hospital. The event will include a public open house with fundraising for the BC SPCA as well as free spay/neuter and dental surgeries for SPCA animals throughout the day. Veterinarians, technicians and vet assistants from Burnaby and around the lower mainland are volunteering their time and many businesses are donating their food and other supplies. 

Dr. Claudia Richter with the Burnaby Veterinary Hospital says her team is excited to be hosting the event. "The BC SPCA has a tough job," she said. "They are a charity that operates without provincial government funding and they deal with some of the most heartbreaking and difficult situations one can imagine. The people at the SPCA have always inspired us with their diligence, compassion and steady hand in a job that not many could handle."

READ THE NEWS RELEASE

Inky Paws for a Cause

A local Edmonton tattoo artist raised more than $4,500 and broke a Guinness World Record - all in the name of pets. 

Diankh (Dianne Lopez) inked 818 tattoos in a 24-hour period breaking the Guinness record for "most tattoos done by a single artist in 24 hours" of 801. Tattoos were offered with a minimum $20 donation and The Inky Paws for a Cause campaign, held July 27-28, raised $4,795.76 for the Edmonton Humane Society. 

"We believe it worked because a lot of people support animal shelters and animal lovers," Diankh.

Pet Parents asked to 'Open their Hearts' for annual Show Us Your Heart campaign

National campaign strives to reach $550,000 goal in 2013

Global Pet Foods and Hill's® Science Diet® are teaming up for their annual Show Us Your Heart™ campaign, 2-16 February 2013. 

Don Cherry, the face of the 2013 Show Us Your Heart™ campaign, devoted pet parent and supporter of local animal shelters, said in a press release he admires people who chose animal adoption.

"It's not about how a dog or cat looks," he said. "Choosing a rescue is about the desire to truly help an animal. That's what Show Us Your Heart is all about."  

Since its inception, Show Us Your Heart™ has raised over $400,000 for local animal shelters including more than $150,000 in 2012 alone. The goal for the 2013 campaign is $150,000.  

Donations can be made at local Global Pet Foods stores or through PayPal. Global Pet Foods and Hill's® Science Diet® will match each $1 donation. 

Movember

Congratulations to Alberta Animal & Municipal Enforcement Services! Five members of the team took part in the annual Movember fundraising event and raised a total of $1,770 for Prostate Cancer Awareness and Research.  

Photos of the team's weekly mustache progress can be viewed on the Alberta Animal Services Facebook page.

Calgary rescue organization using holidays to help promote animal humane and rescue

Oops-a-Dazy Rescue & Sanctuary Society is teaming up with two Calgary Halloween attractions on 31 October 2012 to raise awareness and spread the word on adoption and animal humane and rescue. 

"Haunted Calgary: Outbreak" and "House on Haunted Heights: Nightmare on Our Street" will both host Oops-a-Dazy information booths and collect much needed donations for the shelter. 

For more information, click here.