Giving Back for the Holidays

#mydifference4animals

When you turn into the parking lot of Saving Grace NC you are immediately greeted by hot pink and turquoise signage that makes you feel like you have arrived at a cheerful place and it sets the mood as you walk through the carefully guarded gates that lead you to what many would consider puppy paradise.

Yes, this is a rescue, and there is the fact that these dogs are homeless, but you feel there is hope and love. On this day I was with my family and we were dropping off a carload of donations we had fundraised over the course of a month or so. I was thrilled by the overwhelming response to my request to give back!

After entering the gates, what lies in front of you is a charming Disneyland of sorts for dogs in need of homes. I met Molly who runs the shelter and she gave us a little background on the history of Saving Grace and what they are up to. It was impressive, to say the least.

Saving Grace NC is impeccably organized, using a 5 step process to keep things running smoothly.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Within this structure they have Foster programs, Volunteer opportunities, Host a Dog Sleepover weekends and the Donations section has been set up to perfection! If you have a favorite rescue group I would send them to this website for ideas on how to structure their programs and their website. Super easy to use, not to mention they are very responsive! Saving Grace NC is a leader in their field!

We are fairly new to North Carolina, so when selecting a group to give back to this year, I did what most people do. I asked around for recommendations and this is the name that came up almost every.single.time.

This particular donation concept was born of the amazing marketing group I work with called Working With Dog. It is a members-only group that helps small businesses in the pet industry get their marketing done at a small cost in both financial investment and time! (If you run a pet biz I highly recommend you check this group out) www.workingwithdog.com. This year the membership decided to find a local shelter, where ever in the world they might live, and raise donations for them. Because the membership is spread out over 3 continents it would be a local donation drive on an international level. This is the first year they are running it and a fair number of members jumped on board! If you check out the #mydifference4animals (on most social channels) you can follow along with all the amazing stuff that is going on!

We drove a carload over to Saving Grace and the response was overwhelming! Giving back feels so good! So many can not take in another pet, may not have time to volunteer but we can always find a way to help out. The appreciation is worth everything!