Walk & Wag and Run

Greetings Friends! I hope you will sponsor me in the 2024 Walk & Wag!

(Note: If you prefer to be anonymous in your support so that you don't appear on the public list, I totally get it. But it would be great if you could text me or send me an email letting me know that you were one of the mysterious anonymous donors. I'd love to be able to send you a Thank You note!! Right now there are a couple of Anonymouses (Anonymice?) who are total mysteries. And if you prefer to be an enigma, know that I am so very grateful!!!)

In August, I will have been fostering dogs for the HSHV for 15 years -- since August 2009!

My current foster is Porcupine!

Porcupine was found on the side of a road by two caring women last August. They took him to the local sheriff’s office who brought him to the HSHV.

Porcupine arrived at the shelter weighing only 35lbs with sores on his feet and no idea what a happy life could be. He was so emaciated when came to stay with me in the middle of August, he would eat and sleep and wasn’t able to do much more.

With love and nutrition, Porcupine has made an *amazing* turn around. He is now 80lbs and full of energy and looks so healthy. You would never know what terrible shape he was only 8 months ago.

Porcupine is smart, loves to play tug, play fetch with sticks, and chase tennis balls. He is super speedy and runs zoomies in the backyard; But don’t worry… I regularly warn the rabbits in the yard before he comes racing out of the house! He’s that fast!!

He loves snuggling up on the couch and carries his “Baby” (a stuffed leopard toy) around the house. (Yes, he has brindle stripes and the leopard has spots, but he doesn’t care!!). Porcupine is fully housebroken, sleeps well in his crate at night, knows how to sit, lie down, and shake, and has learned about that frozen Kongs and frozen bones are the best things ever!!

Dogs like Porcupine are the reason why it is so important to support the HSHV and the foster program. Porcupine needed serious medical intervention to allow him to start gaining weight, so that he could go out to foster and start learning how to be a dog.

Fostering is an important opportunity to save dogs who need extra time to heal from medical procedures, who don't do well in the shelter, need some additional socializing, or who never had the chance to learn to just be a pet. In foster homes, these dogs learn how to love and trust humans, and most importantly get ready to be adopted! Through fostering we help animals that never would be given a chance at the loving life they deserve. This is important work that has helped the Humane Society of Huron Valley have such an extraordinary save rate.

The Humane Society of Huron Valley (HSHV) receives thousands of lost, stray, abandoned, abused and owner-surrendered animals each year. No animal is ever turned away. In 2023they had 4900 adoptions and helped return 715 lost animals to their families!

HSHV has the highest “save rate” among similarly sized animal shelters in Michigan and is classified as a “no-kill” shelter, as defined by Maddie’s Fund, a leader in the no-kill movement. Your donations make all of that possible--sponsoring me in the Walk&Wag is an important part of that.

You may not realize, the Humane Society of Huron Valley is a private nonprofit organization. It is not affiliated with any other humane society, local or national –despite the similarity in name with other organizations. HSHV relies on the generosity of individuals and businesses to fund all of its programs.

Your tax-deductible donation will be used wisely. Thanks to the HSHV's fiscal prudence, accountability, and transparency, 2023 is the 13th year in a row the HSHV received an “exceptional” rating with 4 of 4 stars from Charity Navigator, America's largest independent charity evaluator. Only 1% of charities they rate have received 12 or more consecutive 4-star evaluations.

I hope you will be willing to support my fosters and me in our work for the 2024 Walk and Wag Fundraiser. Together we can make a big difference!

Read more about HSHV and what your donation does at https://www.hshv.org/aboutus/

Thank you for your help!