New Grant from Maddie’s Fund by Steven Sable

Frodo. We took a vote: more cuteness isn’t physically possible. Find him at https://www.rezdawgrescue.org/adopt-a-rescue-animal/adoptable-cats/

Rescue requires a higher level of customer service than retail, banking or the restaurant business.  In simple terms, rescues need to maintain a higher attention to detail because our clients are also our bosses – and because we have so many of them.

We work for the dogs/cats we rescue and owe them the best possible experience.  We’re directly responsible for making sure our volunteers have a great time while making the world a better place.  Our donors and rescue partners expect that we’ll be smart about how we go about the day-to-day of rescue.  What makes rescue great is that sometimes, we’re the customer too.  Quite often, other groups go above and beyond the call to make sure we’re as satisfied with the experience as anyone.

Maddie’s Fund is one of these “other groups.”  Maddie’s Fund® is a family foundation created in 1994 by Workday® co-founder Dave Duffield and his wife, Cheryl.  They’ve endowed their Foundation with more than $300 million to support increased community lifesaving, shelter medicine education, and pet adoptions across the U.S.

We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve received a $5,000 grant from Maddie’s Fund to help keep our Rez Cat adoption program rolling. It breaks down like this: Dave and Cheryl Duffield founded Maddie’s Fund to honor their sweet yet feisty and spirited Miniature Schnauzer. They made her a promise that if they ever had any money, they would give back to her and her kind so that other families could experience the immense joy they have with her. Dave and Cheryl kept their promise and to date, the Foundation has awarded more than $187.8 million in grants toward increased community lifesaving, shelter medicine education, and pet adoptions across the U.S.

Gavin asks the age old question, “Netflix and cuddle?” https://www.rezdawgrescue.org/adopt-a-rescue-animal/adoptable-cats/

This $5,000 grant will support RezDawg’s Kitty Prep Program by subsidizing 100 cat adoption fees of our choice by $50 each. The reduced fee will allow folks who might not have otherwise been able to experience the joy of pet ownership to participate – exactly what Dave and Cheryl had in mind.  Our goal is to rescue, foster and adopt out as many Rez Cats as we possibly can.  The grant from Maddie’s Fund is intended to help adopters take advantage of our work.  In short, RezDawg and Maddie’s Fund are a perfect match.

Angela Cerci, President of RezDawg Rescue, believes “It truly does take everybody working together to affect the companion animal overpopulation problem on the Rez.  Working with groups such as Maddie’s Fund allows us to focus on the hands-on of rescue while gaining from the experience and guidance of a well-known national organization that understands how rescue works.  This grant will enable more people to adopt Rez Cats which helps us accomplish our mission of finding homes for Rez Animals in need and enrich the lives of adopters through the sheer joy that is pet ownership.”

Dee is a kitty who was born with that one sensitive spot where her jaw meets her chin… if you can find it and get her rolling, the neighbor may well call to complain that the purring is too loud. https://www.rezdawgrescue.org/adopt-a-rescue-animal/adoptable-cats/

Even though our name rightly puts the focus on dog rescue, RezDawg has always been heavily involved in rescuing Rez Cats.  Since our inception, over 1,500 cats have been rescued through RezDawg and the number of Rez Cat foster homes have increased over 300% over just the past three years.

Jayma Wessling, our resident cat lady, puts it like this.  “Don’t let the RezDawg name fool you – there are plenty of cats in need of help and we haven’t left them behind. The cats of the reservations need just as much care and support as our dogs.  I may have become the face of this program but there is a huge team of people who champion for these wonderful creatures, who know the value in saving the lives of both the canines and felines.”

So where does that leave you?  Go to our adoptable cats page (https://www.rezdawgrescue.org/adopt-a-rescue-animal/adoptable-cats/.)  If you see a ball of cuteness that immediately strikes you as your new best friend and know it was simply meant to be, great!  You can jump to our cat adoption form and we’ll take it from there (https://www.rezdawgrescue.org/adopt-a-rescue-animal/adoptable-cats/)  Cats eligible to receive the Maddie’s Fund grant will have that listed clearly on their profile – and we’ll automatically apply the grant dollars from there.

We’re grateful for the opportunity and want to thank the Duffield Family Foundation, the Board of Maddie’s Fund and most importantly, #ThanksToMaddie.

Moonshine is available for adoption – and would love to become your new best friend : https://www.rezdawgrescue.org/adopt-a-rescue-animal/adoptable-cats/

Please comment.  We need to know if you like the blog as-is or would like to see something different.

For more information about what you’ve read here or about RezDawg in general, please visit RezDawgRescue.org, The Rez Dog Biographies, or stevensable.com.

Your donations are critical for helping RezDawg Rescue save lives. Every donation can make a difference…here is what your donations can do:

  • $15 pays for a microchip
  • $25 pays for a rabies, distemper, or bordetella vaccine
  • $30 feeds a dog or cat for a month
  • $50 pays for a veterinary exam
  • $85 pays for neuter and $105 for spay procedures
  • $120 refuels our van for more transports from the Four Corners area of the US
  • $250 readies for adoption by providing a wellness exam, spay or neuter, all vaccinations, deworming, microchip and a month of food
  • $500 sponsors an entire interstate transport
  • $1,000 sponsors one month of transports
  • $5,000 covers veterinary expenses for all animals in foster for one month
  • $10,000 covers transport and total adoption costs for six months
  • $150,000 provides down payment on RDR’s future rescue and boarding facility

Every dollar makes a difference!

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