Strut Your Mutt 2013 will be held September 21. Registration opens May 1, 2013. And if you sign up by May 19, not only will you save $5 on the entry fee, you could help CAWS win extra cash to help more animals!
The group who has the most "strutters" sign up May 1-19 will win $1,000 from Best Friends Animal Society.
Our Dog Pack desperately needs you! And this is just the beginning of one of largest fundraisers of the year. So if you are planning to participate in this year's biggest canine carnival, please sign up by May 19, and invite all of your friends and family to participate too!
With the passion of our awesome supporters, we know we can earn that prize!
Why We Need $1,000 (and More)
CAWS regularly takes in animals who are tough cases--animals that other shelters often don't take. This means that we frequently find ourselves working with our amazing veterinarians to provide important treatment and surgeries, and we depend on funds raised from our much-appreciated donors to help.
In recent months, CAWS has helped improve the lives of several dogs by covering the costs of urgently needed surgeries. And there are many dogs who we are still working on helping. Dogs like Hope.
A Dog Called "Hope"
In late 2012, Utah residents were shocked to learn that more than 150 Chihuahuas needed to be rescued from a condemned home in Ogden.* A number of rescue organizations responded to the situation, taking in as many dogs as possible. After confirming that CAWS could help, Tracy, one of our dedicated volunteers, and her husband drove to the Weber County Animal Shelter, where all of the dogs had just arrived and been placed in long rows of kennels, with 4 to 8 dogs in each run.
After agreeing to take a mother dog and her pup, Tracy followed an animal services officer to another dog run. The officer begged Tracy to take the littlest one, who they had named "Hope," because the shelter staff felt she represented the hope for the future of all the dogs. Tracy recounts her experience:
Trembling in the very back of the dog run was this skinny little thing. She was afraid to make eye contact and was not sure about being touched. After some coaxing, she finally acted like she wanted to get close to us, but was so uncertain. We noticed she wouldn't put weight on her right paw, so we knew there was something wrong, we just didn't know how bad it was. We took her home, along with 4 other dogs. As she settled in, she had a hard time walking and a funny hunched over gait.
A Long Road Ahead
At Hope's first veterinary visit, the veterinarian said spaying her would be delayed for at least 3 months because she was so undernourished. After an x-ray, it was discovered that both of Hope's front legs had been seriously injured. The veterinarian suspects the puppy was kicked, stepped on, or hurt by the other dogs when they were struggling for the little available food. The sad fact is that if Hope had received medical attention when her injuries first happened, the resulting damage would have been less extensive.
CAWS kept a close eye on the situation. There was a possibility that Hope's left leg might heal well on its own. But after a little time, it has become apparent that both of her legs will likely need surgery. In fact, the surgeon has noted that her right leg may not be fixable and could have to be amputated--a tough decision for anyone.
Hope is now facing at least two costly surgeries and a long recovery before she will be ready to be adopted.
In the meantime, as CAWS plans for her surgery, Hope is kept comfortable with pain medications and lots of love from her foster family. Tracy reports that even though it's still difficult for her to get up to play or go outside, Hope has spirit and spunk and she just wants to run.
Hope for the Future
Fortunately, with the help of your donations, and the $1,000 prize from the Strut Your Mutt contest, CAWS can help give Hope and many other animals the best possible future by covering the costs of their surgeries.
Please join our Dog Pack and register for Strut Your Mutt on May 1 to help CAWS help more dogs like Hope. Or if you don't want to strut but still want to help, you can donate to help cover the costs of caring for the CAWS animals that need a little extra TLC by visiting our donation page.
*At this time, Ogden City Animal Services is pursuing charges and the case is in court.