SSPA Newsletter
In This Issue
Giving Thanks | Streaming to Support Dogs | Get to Know Our Team | Happy Tails
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This week, we wanted to thank all of our amazing supporters and team members!
Every single day, we are beyond grateful for:
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Our volunteers. In particular, a huge thanks to our community for stepping up to make our dogs happy through the Dog Day Out Program. By volunteering your time to check out an SSPA dog, not only are you keeping them more content during their shelter stay - you are also helping them find homes with your images and descriptions!
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Our amazing and selfless fosters, who open their hearts and homes to our dogs so they can thrive outside of the shelter environment until they find forever homes. Fostering truly saves lives as we've witnessed time and time again.
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Wonderful adopters, who choose to give shelter pups a happy new beginning and make our beloved pups a treasured part of their families. You bring us so much joy!
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The Bradshaw medical team and T.E.A.M. (Teaching Everyone Animals Matter), who go the extra mile to ensure dogs in need get the best (and often life-saving) care.
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Our behavioral team, whose hard work directly results in more positive outcomes for shelter dogs. They embody our motto - "Where All Dogs Matter."
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Our adoption/foster team, who work tirelessly to match dogs with families.
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Our photo team, who capture amazing images of our pups to help them find homes.
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Our web and social media teams, who ensure the public is informed about our programs and who spread the word about our adorable pups.
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Our donors, whose support is critical to allowing us to sustain our life-saving programs for shelter dogs. We truly couldn't do this without you!
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A Twitch Streamer's Mission to Help Dogs |
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Trevor, an elementary school teacher and Twitch affiliate creator, has come up with a novel way to help SSPA's dogs: raising funds through his channel to sponsor their adoptions (aka cover the cost of adoption).
Twitch is an online platform where people can watch live-streams of gamers playing video games.
Trevor says he came up with the idea of creating his own channel, ReignDeer_games, as a fun hobby.
Many streamers make money by viewers gifting them digital currency called "bits"; viewers subscribing monthly to their channel; and/or viewers making straight donations for different goals set by the streamer.
Trevor took a different approach.
"I saw some other streamers on the Twitch platform do a charity stream to raise money, which inspired me but in a different way. Instead of one of my streams being a one-time 'charity stream,' I decided to be a 'charity streamer,' meaning I make zero money from my stream. No other streamer that I have come across on Twitch does what I do.
"I figured if I can play games (which I love) and help dogs at the same time, then what can be better than that?"
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His passion for supporting shelter dogs developed after he adopted his beloved pit bull Sophie from Front Street.
"She is the most snuggly, loving and affectionate dog anyone could ask for, which made my heart hurt thinking of the many dogs in the shelter like her who aren’t given a chance or are quickly looked over when people go looking to adopt dogs."
He not only uses his channel to raise funds to sponsor SSPA dogs, but also to advocate for bully breeds.
"The media likes to vilify pit bulls as these dangerous beasts, and they don’t deserve it. So I’m hoping my stream can help change some of those preconceived thoughts."
Yesterday, Trevor came to the shelter to sponsor seven more (!!) of our dogs after his birthday stream. This means he has covered the adoption fees of 10 of our pups!
How does he feel when one of his sponsored dogs finds a forever home?
"When I find out a dog finds a home, I am moved to tears honestly because I know that the dog will be in a home with a family that loves them. Maybe they too will fall in love like I did and become an advocate against things like BSL (breed-specific legislation) and media reputation and stand up for the dogs who need people to stand up for them and give them a voice."
He's hoping more folks will follow in his footsteps on Twitch and support shelter dogs.
"The more voices we have, the louder we can be, which will help get more dogs into their fur-ever homes."
Wouldn't that be amazing?!
Thank you, Trevor, for supporting SSPA and helping our pups find their happy tails!
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Help SSPA Save More Lives! |
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Get to Know a Member of the SSPA Team! |
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In this series, we'll feature one of our team members each week! |
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Q&A with Volunteer Jill McGraw Lindeman
How long have you been part of Sacramento Shelters Pets Alive and what inspired you to be part of the team?
In July 2014, I adopted my sweet little bulldog mix, Luna, from foster parents and SSPA OGs Dan and Sandy Connor. Dr. Alek had performed an FHO surgery on her, and I was amazed that a shelter would go through what I considered such great lengths to save a stray dog’s life. Anyhow, they sucked me in and I began by volunteering as a foster provider for SSPA shortly after that, and fell in love with the first pit bull I was ever close to, my foster dog Sven! I’ve been an SSPA foster provider ever since and since last November, I’ve also been an email adoption counselor for SSPA.
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What’s the best thing about being a member of the SSPA team?
It’s all about saving lives, isn’t it? I’ve lived in the neighborhood of the shelter since 1990, and we actually adopted our second and third “married people” dogs from the old shelter location. Learning about how much progress this open intake municipal shelter has made over the past 10 years in animal outcomes has truly been an inspiration to me. Along with all-important spay and neuter initiatives, SSPA programs that help dogs with medical or behavioral problems get into foster care and get the attention and training they need to be successful in a forever home are critical. A no-kill shelter is a shelter that makes every effort to adopt out animals that come in and are adoptable. SSPA, T.E.A.M. and the kitten fostering program are a few of the major programs the shelter has that take the no-kill shelter plan a step further and actually take what would be “unadoptable” animals in most shelters and make them adoptable.
My favorite thing about being an email adoption counselor is getting to help people find the perfect dog for their family. I enjoy providing education to the general public about how to properly acclimate their new shelter dog to their life and work with them to help dogs become treasured forever family members.
What moment during your time with SSPA is most memorable for you?
When we finally find a permanent placement for those really difficult-fit dogs, it makes it all worthwhile!
What do you hope to help SSPA accomplish in the future?
You know, I don’t know all of the plans for the future, but I do look forward to SSPA opening an offsite facility for rehab dogs where they can get more intensive support and become adoptable sooner.
And finally, what is your favorite thing about your pets?
I love that they make me laugh all the time! Doesn’t everybody need more of that?!
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Giving Tuesday Is One Week Away! |
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We're only one week away from Giving Tuesday, the global day of generosity!
Don't miss this day - Dec. 1 - in which folks worldwide come together to spread kindness, support those most in need and give to the organizations that mean the most to them!
COVID-19 has hit many nonprofits hard - including SSPA - and forced them to cancel the fundraisers that sustain their programs and services.
Please consider donating to support our life-saving programs for Sacramento County shelter dogs!
And your donations are tax deductible.
We can't thank you enough for all of your support of SSPA's programs for our community's shelter dogs!
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Zoey, our cute-as-a-button "tripawd," was adopted yesterday!
Today her adopter sent us these photos (above and/or at right) and said, "I adopted Zoey the tri-pod yesterday, 11/22/2020. Not 30 minutes after getting home from the shelter, she was asleep and snoring on my chest. She’s home. 🥰."
What a future Zoey has to look forward to!
Congrats to them both!
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Rango went home today after a meet-and-greet this past weekend!
His adopter said, "Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to adopt our new *future* best friend! We feel so grateful and blessed to have Rango!"
We hope to receive updates!
Congratulations all!
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Hazel, our adorable, chonky girl, found her home!
Her foster said about the adopter, "She seems to be a perfect fit for her!"
Now Hazel's days will be full of snuggles - just how she likes it!
Congratulations to her and her adopter!
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Did you know that our support for our dogs doesn't end when they're adopted? We offer post-adoption counseling to help your new pup successfully transition into its new home! Email sacramentocountydogs@gmail.com.
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Jenny
That's right - our beloved joyful girl is still looking for a home!
She's one adorable bundle of fun and awesome who would thrive as part of a family!
She has won the hearts of the whole SSPA team, along with our volunteers.
She might be a senior, but that doesn't slow her down one bit! She loves every outing and soaks up cuddles afterward. She also does great on car rides.
Ready to bring this happy girl home? Fill out an application below!
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Patches
This young, adorable guy has been through a rough patch with illness and come out on top!
He's known for giving puppy kisses and just being an all-around joy!
He's proved to be great on walks or jogs as well!
Things to note: He has some mouthiness and resource-guarding, so we'd prefer he go to a home without kids. He is also much more comfy with women.
Help us keep him smiling; apply to foster or adopt him below.
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SSPA Foster Dog of the Week |
Macgee has one of the most squishable faces around!
He's a little nugget who is low-key, chill and easy breezy. He's truly lovely in every way.
He has shown to be OK with gentle and dainty female dogs.
He is housebroken, easy to walk, prefers shorter adventures and is all about the cuddling.
Have a loving home for this sweetie? Apply to adopt him today! |
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Prior Newsletters
Did you miss our previous newsletters? You can check them out here:
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