And the winner is...

EVERYONE!

So, I never got a list of donaters back from A Place to Bark and I'm leaving for India in a couple of hours so I decided to split the $200 prize between Sophie's Dog Adoption and A Rotta Love Plus.

When I get back in a couple of months we can hopefully have a proper raffle.

Take care everyone!

Love

Steph

Scott's first post!

It has been quite awhile since we started this blog and I have been so busy and lazy that I haven't even made one post.  But since Gracie just got her foster bunny she pushed me to make a post about him.

Once I can edit videos there will be more to come.  I'm also accepting names for the Rabbit since Gracie can't really convey her ideas to me (well I'm just too stupid to understand what she's saying).  In the meantime Viper asked me to post some of his favourite pics for everyone to see.  So here they are in no specific order:

Viper was pretty tired after celebrating his first Christmas 

(he hates religion but likes the food and gifts)

Gracie fits into my vest better than I do

Gracie passed out with her favourite ball

Viper getting some love from my sister Christie

I think I was interrupting something

Can you spot Viper in this pile of dirty clothes?

A Place to Bark Challenge Update

So, A Place to Bark rocked the $50,000 challenge but unfortunately was 200 donations short of the unofficial top four by the

time the contest closed. So the prize money won't go to them. Tears.

But, I'm happy to report that everyone at APTB is still in good spirits and are so touched that people all over the world (even from Montreal!!) cared enough about the lives of the animals they rescue to donate to the cause. You guys rule! And overall they raised nearly $80,000 through individual donations like yours and a matching grant from the Zoline Foundation. That is going to be a tremendous help to the animals!

In other good news, 11th Hour Rescue in New Jersey was in the top 4! So at least one animal rescue group will get the moola. 11th Hour rescues tons of pitties, yay!

Huge thanks to everyone who donated and worked hard to win Bernie the grant money by spreading the word! It really meant a lot to me that you guys donated your time and resources to the cause. You're all so lovely!

As for the winner of our own little $200 grant, well, we don't know who it is yet! We still have to get the list of donaters from Bernie and I know things are off the wall for her right now. But, once we get the list, Mona (my Minnesota foster dog. Ugh, she is so cute, I can't stand it!!) and I will be holding a drawing and we'll let you know!

Thanks again guys. You're the BEST!

(Above: Ice, a new intake. Just the gentlest and sweetest young dog I've met!)

I'm So Sorry (A Minnesota Post)

I know that postings have been infrequent and the updates... well I'll be the first to admit they've been pathetic, BUT I have an excuse: I'm not even in Canada anymore!

Now I'm back in my home state, Minnesota. Most likely for the next year or so. And even though I grew up here, I'm feeling a little bit like a fish out of water.

For one thing everyone here is really, really nice. Like when I'm walking down the street people make eye contact, smile and exchange pleasantries with me! And they don't even ask me for money afterwards. Weird, huh? Or in the grocery store if they reach in front of me to grab a can of beans they always say they are "so sorry". Not even just a mumbled sorry, they are emphatically so sorry. And I think they mean it!

In fact, my fellow Minnesotans seem to be sorry for everything they do that might be the slightest inconvenience to others. If I ever have to take a step back so people can walk through I'm hit with a barrage of "I'm so sorry"s. Or if I get into one of those awkward little 'you move to the left, I move to the left' dances when passing someone in the hall the person is usually so sorry you'd think they had ripped my first born from my arms and devoured it in front of me.

I don't know. All this sorry business is freaking me out. I think I miss the asshole-yness of Montreal already!

But, when in Rome, do as the Romans.

So I offer you, my dear blog readers, a sincere and heartfelt apology for being so sporadic with postings and updates this month.

Hopefully I'll be able to update about Sophie's Dog Adoption's new intakes (look to the right to see all the new cuties!), successful adoptions and all the other stories that go along with rescue work much more often.

In the mean time I hope you'll know that I'm so, so sorry!

WIN $200 FOR SOPHIE'S DOG ADOPTION!!!

(Or any other animal rescue group of your choice!)

A Place to Bark is a Tennesse rescue that is this close to winning a $50,000 grant from Network For Good and Parade Magazine.

The grant is rewarded to the four charities that get the most people to donate through their Six Degree badges. The goal is to get the most people to donate, not to necessarily raise the most money.

So in the spirit of helping A Place to Bark reach their goal and helping local rescue efforts I'm offering a $200.00 raffle prize.

To win the $200 bucks for Sophie's Dog Adoption make a $10 tax-deductible donation to A Place to Bark through their Six Degrees badge above.

Simply enter "Longfellow Donation" in the "Donation or Gift" line. When the challenge is over on Thursday I'll draw from all those who entered the raffle and make a $200 donation to the animal charity of your choice in your name.

So please, help two amazing rescues out by throwing $10 dollars towards A Place to Bark and win $200 for Sophie's Dog Adoption!!!

Spread the word to your friends and family because you can only enter once, but they can enter the raffle and donate the winnings to SDA too!

The contest runs until 3:00PM EST Thursday January 31st!

Bakesale for Sophie's Dog Adoption!

While our friends over at A Place to Bark are competing for the big bucks, we here at Sophie's Dog Adoption are going back to our humble bakesale fundraising roots!

So come support local efforts to ease the suffering of homeless and unwanted dogs and satisfy your sweet tooth at the same time!

Lots of yummy treats! Many decadent, delicious vegan options!

SATURDAY JANUARY 26th & SUNDAY JANUARY 27th

11AM-5PM

Naturalanimal & Pawtisserie

4932B Sheerbrooke Street West.

Westmount

We still need people to donate homebaked goods! Contact me if you can help!

Helping Our Friends! Make $10 become $50,000!

Today I was going to write about the burnout, frustration and depression that can come with dog rescue and that I've been feeling lately, when I logged onto A Place To Bark and became so inspired and hopeful I remembered just why it is that I love rescue work!

A Place to Bark...and Meow has been a huge inspiration to me. Bernie is a truly tireless and selfless servant to others and has found a way to rescue over 500 dogs a year by herself!

And now, we have the chance to win her rescue and all of the homeless dogs in her area $50,000!!!

Here's how it works:
A Place to Bark is a registered charity with a Six Degrees Badge, which people can make donations through. The four charity badges with the most unique donations (meaning the most individuals donating) through America's Giving Challenge will get $50,000 for their cause.


America's Giving Challenge runs only until January 31st.

A Place to Bark's Giving Badge

Donate:
Please donate by clicking on the link to the badge above to make a $10 tax deductible donation. Once you click on the badge, you'll have a bunch of options on how to pay including through PayPal. But, in order to get the grand moola you have to make the donation through the Six Degrees Charity Badge.

We need the most people possible to each donate $10 to A Place to Bark. In order to win the grant we need to have the most amount of donors, not necessarily the amount of money donated.

It gets better:
All donations made to A Place to Bark's Six Degrees Badge, will be matched by the "Zoline Foundation" up to $25,000.00!!! So your 10 bucks automatically becomes 20 dollars that goes straight towards rescuing dogs! All donations up to June 1st will be counted for the matching donation from the Zoline Foundation.

We're So Close:
I just checked the Top Ten Badges page and despite starting 3 weeks into the competition, A Place to Bark is now number 6! They only need to rise 2 spots to receive a $50,000 grant! Help make it a reality! Your $10 tax-deductible donation will immediately become a $20 matched donation. Plus if we get enough people, we could help earn all of the dogs at A Place To Bark $50,000.

Sometimes rescuing dogs from heinous, horrible, near death situations can wear you down. I've been lucky enough to have a fellow rescuer to turn to in those times. Her wisdom, her love and her kindness have always helped me see through my own hardships to the real struggle those who can't defend themselves have.

Now I have an opportunity to help Bernie help more homeless dogs! I hope you'll make a donation. And maybe next year, when Sophie's Dog Adoption is a registered charity, we'll have a shot at that $50,000!