WWLDO JUL 2023 Newsletter

Welcome to Our New Newsletter!

JUL 2023

July Co-Founder's Note:

New Site, Instagrants and

Our Summer Shelter Tour

Hello all! I have so much good news to share!

First up, I hope you’ll take a minute to check out our beautiful new website, made possible by the generous pro-bono work of IMGE! We are excited (and still working out the kinks) for our new site. On the site you can find not just all our blog posts, but an interactive map of our shelter/rescue visits, an updated and beautified Resource Guide that lists all the ideas/grants/resources we’ve discovered in our travels, and information about who we are, what we do, and how you can get involved.

Check it out here!

Next, we’ve given two more INSTAGRANTS! Our Instagrants allow us to purchase much-needed resources that meet an immediate need of our shelter partners. They are made possible through a grant-to-regrant from the ASPCA. You may remember that back in February we gave an instagrant to Tyrrell County Animal Shelter in the form of kuranda beds for all of the kennels getting the dogs off the cement.

A TCAS Resident enjoying some play time with us during our visit!

In April we gave an Instagrant to the Midsouth Animal Rescue Foundation in the form of new kennel panels to allow them to replace some of their kennels which we failing (they were former chicken coops!).

And now in June, we have given what remains of our Instagrant funds in the form of purchasing a portable building for Corinth-Alcorn Animal Shelter to allow them to get their most vulnerable dogs out of the overheated shelter building, AND to model a potential new shelter structure that could provide the animals with not just physical relief, but emotional relief too.

We went out on a limb a little on this one, kicking in a portion of our general funds to get the building immediately and counting on our amazing supporters to replenish our operating funds.

Finally, we are headed out on another shelter tour this summer to Kentucky and West Virginia. If you’d like to support our work, you can shop our Amazon wishlist to help fill our truck with supplies to deliver or donate through our Shelter Tour Fundraiser. And, if you know of a shelter or rescue in WV or KY that could benefit from a visit from us, please introduce us! We still have room to add a few stops.

Until Each One Has A Home,

Cara Achterberg

COMING UP:

Our Second Annual Fall Auction!

September 24, 2023 - October 1, 2023

This event will be our largest fundraiser of the year and will help us replenish our INSTA-GRANT fund used to directly help struggling shelters across the U.S. We are looking for a variety of items including gift baskets, gift cards, handmade items, product donation, vacation rentals, event tickets, or dog and cat items! This online auction will be available to anyone across the US, so physical items must be able to be shipped.

If you have any items to donate or know of any businesses willing to donate items, please email Lindsay our auction coordinator at: lkohr049@gmail.com. All donations are appreciated and tax-deductible!

Our Most Recent Post:

A Magical Place in South Georgia

South Georgia Equine Rescue is a magical place, and it has nothing to do with horses (although they have twelve).

SGER began in 2019 initially to rescue horses, but once it became evident that there were hundreds of dogs in need of rescue in this county that has no municipal shelter, the dogs poured in. What makes it magical is the happy herds of dogs wandering the place. Every shape, size, age, color, and condition.

Shelter Stories:

The Power of Local Volunteers: Butler County Animal Shelter, KY

Local volunteers are hard at work preparing for the construction of the new Butler County Animal Wellness Center! With the hard work and dedication of the Friends of Butler County Animals, FOBCA Director Rebecca Fooks, and Butler County 4th district Magistrate David Whittinghill, they're one step closer to beginning construction.

Learn More and Donate Here

RESOURCE GUIDE HIGHLIGHT:

Community Engagement:

Creating Shared Spaces and Hosting Shelter Dog Playdates

When local residents feel like a shelter is part of the community, they're more likely to provide financial and volunteer support. The WWLDO Resource Guide offers a wide range of ideas in its Community Outreach and Education section including tips on how to attract visitors to the shelter.

If shelter properties have the space, adding trails or a dog park can be an inviting attraction for locals. Anderson County P.A.W.S., SC, built a paw-shaped dog park equipped with an amphitheater and play areas, and plans organize a variety of fun activities for dogs. Members of the public are also invited to take shelter dogs out for playdates in the park, a creative way to entice volunteers and provide life-saving enrichment for shelter residents.

Meanwhile, Cheatham County Animal Control, TN, overhauled its hiking trails with painted rocks and storyboards about shelter residents. The trails are free to the public as long as they take a shelter dog along for a walk. It’s been a huge success with locals coming to the shelter to walk dogs three or four times a day. This is making a huge difference to the health and well-being of the dogs (and the people too!)

So even if your shelter doesn't have the facilities to do quite as much, consider using your property creatively to create stronger community connections, and maybe even hosting your own shelter dog playdates with volunteers! Whether that be on your own property, or while monitored in community green spaces, they're a great low-cost way to connect with locals and provide outside time for your residents.

Jason Debus Heigl Foundation

Looking to fund your Spay/Neuter Programs? The Jason Debus Heigl Foundation, founded in 2008 by actress Katherine Heigl of Grey's Anatomy and her mother, is currently accepting applications year-round. Their straightforward, 3-step online application process is open to 501(c)(3) organizations and can be completed in just a few minutes.

Learn More and Apply Here

Today in Good News:

3300lbs of Meow Mix donated to A Shelter Friend!

A Shelter Friend, the charitable organization for the Bladen County Animal Shelter, NC, was able to secure 3,300lbs of Meow Mix cat food from their parent company J. M Smucker. In addition to providing months' worth of food to the Bladen County Animal Shelter, they also donated to community members who aid in the TNR programs, and provided food for those fostering shelter cats.