#Giving Tuesday

Posted by Weeks on December 1, 2015 in Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Today has been dubbed “Giving Tuesday” in the US. It follows Black Friday when people spend lots of money to buy things in stores, and Cyber Monday when shoppers take to the internet. Giving Tuesday is a plea to send a bit of all of that holiday money to the organizations that need it the most: charities. Today, as one of PAWS Social Media Ambassadors I’m making a plea for you to give anything from the equivalent of a Pumpkin Spice Latte to, well, as much as you can give.

Give to your favorite charity but I’m also hoping you can spare a bit for my favorite charity: PAWS Chicago. Although PAWS is located in Chicago, it serves many parts of the country by transporting overflow animals from rescue organizations and shelters in Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee and other regions of the country. Former foster Caddy, pictured above, was rescued suffering from Canine Influenza for which there is no vaccine. She was extremely ill and very neglected when she came to us but loved to dance around on her hind legs like a circus dog once the battery of medications she was given kicked in. She spent a month with us recovering and was adopted less than a week after leaving us.

Here’s how it works: PAWS’ mission is to have no animals euthanized in Chicago, but by taking in the animals that can’t be placed in other regions, PAWS is giving shelters in other parts of the country their first ever months with no animals euthanized. When Bill and I helped unload a 40 puppies last week, they had all been driven to Chicago in a PAWS van from Mississippi. This happen several times a month. All will find homes in Chicago, thanks to PAWS. This is in addition to the huge number that  PAWS rescues daily from Chicago Animal Care and Control. All receive veterinary care, sterilization and vaccines. Some require extensive medical treatment, some require extensive surgery and rehabilitation for their injuries.

Here are a couple of numbers that should make you want to give to PAWS:

6,000 that’s the number of PAWS animals adopted annually

18,000 that’s the number of low-cost or free neuters and spays that PAWS vets perform annually — 72% are free to low-income households

50,000 that’s the number of pets than were euthanized in Chicago in 1997 when PAWS opened

77% that’s how many fewer animals were euthanized last year in part because of PAWS efforts to reach the communities with the lowest rates of pet sterilization

$7 pays for antibiotics for one week for a puppy with kennel cough

$662 that’s the average cost from rescue to adoption of one animal

7,000 that’s the number of people who volunteered at PAWS last year

50 full-time employees: those 7,000 volunteers donated the hours that would be the equivalent of 50 full-time employees

4/12 Charity Navigator has given PAWS its highest 4-star ranking for 12 years in a row.

#1 that’s the ranking nationwide Charity Navigator has given PAWS for its excellent management and efficient use of donations.

$5 that’s what I’m asking you to give by clicking here.

Thank You.