10/20/2026
HELP US CARE FOR OUR SPECIAL NEEDS AND CONSIDERATIONS ANIMALS WITH A DONATION BOX!
Our Season-of-Giving campaign is almost here (starting November 1), but we need to put out this request for help that is a part of it earlier because we really need help. Donations are at an all-time low, and we run on donations - for medical care of our animals, food, supplies - every single thing! We still have not covered the cost of our September/October food and are already purchasing our Oct/Nov food. Getting this far behind can get insurmountable really quick. We need more help than we have.
We know not everyone can donate themselves, but everyone can help give others an opportunity to do good. Last year for the first part of the Season of Giving, we asked for public-facing businesses {or employees that work at them} (that have customers or other interaction with the public at their store front) if they would host one of our fancier donation boxes (on the left) at their counter or reception desk. We also asked for individuals who would take an "internal" donation box (the more homemade version on the right) to help us fundraise in non-public-facing settings like in one's workplace lunchroom, or at their book club meetings, church groups, holiday gatherings, etc. We had only 2 businesses offer to take a donation box, and neither business actually put them out so we raised $0 from those efforts. We had just one person take an internal box to her work break room and she raised $180 which is fabulous! Our little dog Hendrix was having health challenges so we had to cease our pleas for assistance in this fundraising effort (because besides being low in donation support, we are also low in volunteer support and the limited volunteer help we have was tending to animal needs and was spread so thin we couldn't also go deliver/place donation boxes and collect funds from them, too).
So in realizing that shortcoming in being able to implement this donation box program, we are going to change it a bit this year to get more help to make it a success.
Our goal is to get 20 of our public facing donation boxes into the community, and have 20 individuals do some internal fundraising with the other box. This is not a big or unachievable goal with 9000 social media followers (and 2 million residents of SE WI), but we need people who will step up and help reach this goal.
We are also going to ask that anyone that can arrange for a business donation box to be placed also collect the funds from that box (once a month is usually more than sufficient - this is a low-effort volunteering opportunity with little commitment). The internal boxes by nature are monitored by the individual that agrees to take one as they are placed somewhere our volunteers wouldn't have access to anyway (like at their work break room or at their Wednesday night Game Night).
People almost universally love animals and want to help, but don't always know how. Helping us place one of these boxes not only helps our animals tremendously, but also helps others feel good about doing something meaningful (and we all need that type of fulfillment and giving to others tops that list).
In 2026, change is a nuisance to most people and they want to get rid of it! What is a burden to them is a blessing to our animals. They can unload their pockets, or their change jars from home - our animals will be helped greatly by it.
Talk to businesses you know that might want to help. People want to do good. If you don't ask, the answer is always no. And if you can't think of a business, share this post because someone you know might know of, or have a business, that would host a box. Or perhaps you want to take an internal box and raise money for the animals in exchange for your coworkers being able to wear jeans on Fridays!
Everyone in this community is connected to each other by a few degrees of separation. Network for our animals. We can help so many more if more of you help us.
So if you want to help be a part of this really easy fundraising that will help us not struggle in caring for our animals, please email [email protected] and tell us if you'd like a business box, or an internal donation jar!
We look forward to reaching our goal, and making this fundraiser a huge success, but that will only happen with your help!