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Contest time! This is your opportunity to win a “Walking with the Herd” Contest – even if you are not physically close to us. Through the magic of the internet, you will have an opportunity to Walk with us as we raise money for Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation. Please read this post carefully.
As you read through our adoption stories last week, you saw our friends at Sarge’s, our local all-breed animal rescue, many times. Â Sarge himself was a young, healthy, purebred German Shepherd who was taken in by Haywood Animal Shelter and identified for rescue by a volunteer. Â But transport arrived an hour too late because Sarge had been euthanized to make room in an already overcrowded shelter. Â SARF was formed as a 501(c)3 charitable foundation to reduce the unnecessary destruction of healthy animals in Haywood County North Carolina (where we live). Â Though separate organizations, SARF works closely with Haywood Animal Welfare Association, an organization dedicated to providing low cost spay and neuter program to local residents.
Milling about waiting on the Dog Walk
SARF and HAWA have been very effective in reducing euthanized animals in our county. Â In fact, in 2009, over 50% of all of the animals impounded at our shelter were rescued. Â Over 2,000 dogs and cats were rescued, including 320 dogs and cats that were transported via the Dixie Transport to our friends in the Northeastern states that are way ahead of us in reducing euthanasia of healthy animals.
Tartok, Natasha, Kiska and Qannik in the Dog Walk
But much work remains to be done. Â Sarge’s goal is to increase that adoption rate north of 90%. Â As one of its fundraisers each year, Sarge’s sponsors the annual Downtown Dog Walk that parades through Waynesville (six – count them – six grueling blocks!) and then ends on the Courthouse lawn where contests and social events happen. Â The Herd has proudly marched in the walk all except one year and became a sponsor last year (and is a sponsor again this year).
Kiska, Qannik, Rusty, Natasha and Kodiak in the Dog Walk
We were stunned when Sarge’s reached out to us and asked that we lead the parade this year with the banner. Â We are also a little concerned that some Herd antics might kick into gear knowing that people will be lining the street, taking our picture, and cheering us on as we lead a couple of hundred of our closest canine friends down Main Street. Â For once, the police escort will be a good thing!
Cheoah and Rusty showing off their stylish Sarge's Dog Walk bandanas
How can you participate? Â If you are anywhere close, come march with us. Â Register online or print this form, and then have your friends sponsor you, and come march with us on August 7. Â Please, please, please stop by and introduce yourself to us. Â We are usually pretty easy to spot in a crowd, for some reason.
Come walk with Kodiak - and support our walk!
Can’t come to Waynesville? Â How about sponsoring us? Â AND HERE IS THE CONTEST PART You might even win a t-shirt with a picture of us marching down Main Street with the banner (or picking pockets, or shoplifting from storefront displays, or peeing on a parked car – we are The Herd after all and the photographer will be following us). Â Through the magic of Photoshop, you will be able to be in the picture with us as an Honorary Member of The Herd. Â Yep, for every $5 donation, we will be throwing your name in a hat and very scientifically drawing a name to see who our lucky winner is. Â Just CLICK THIS LINK, complete the form, write a check to SARF – of any size – ALL donations are welcome and tax deductible – and you might win a genuine Thundering Herd t-shirt commemorating this year’s walk.
Picture YOU and The Herd in the picture on a t-shirt this year!
So fill out the form, whip out the checkbook, save some dogs’ and cats’ lives, and you might even win a t-shirt with you walking in the Dog Walk with The Herd. Â What could be better?
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Wow.. sarge’s rescue is making you walk 6 blocks!!! and lead the parade! You are true blue celebrities now. I know the puparazzi will definitely come now! We’ll join the contest fun wahoo! Although we’d rather come in live nordude fashion.
norwood
What a great contest! I gotta try and steal mom’s checkbook! đ
Mochi
Mom put our check in the mail!
Denali, Rubina (Rubi) & Holly
What a great cause!!! Wish we lived closer, would have loved to come out and cheer for the Herd!
What an honour! I hope the Herd does us all proud đ
Terrific idea. I haven’t worked out my July budget yet, so I’ll let you know.
We are so proud of the Herd and so support this event. Six members of the Herd will all walk? Two Eskies in New Mexico will be cheering you all the way. Watch for our envelope!
How exciting and what an honor!!!
I’m all about lifting my leg on parked cars — or trying to. For some reason, Mom and Dad aren’t keen on me doing that. Go figure!
I’ve gotta see if I can find their checkbook!
Play bows,
Zim
PS: Is Kiska sticking her tongue out in that first photo?!?!
Wooos Herd! I am certain woo will make us all proud! I will make mom send some greenpapers fur woo all, since we are too far away fur a walkie there, (although I think I could make it. Sing loud fur me!
~husky kisses~
-Kira The BeaWootiful
what a great event. it sounds like they have already done so much!
We wholeheartedly support all that you and SARF do. We will be honored to sponsor you. We aren’t very lucky at winning, but we want to donate anyway.
Have a lot of fun – we KNOW you will bring great honor to The Herd and the Humans too. That is our parents’ 39th wedding anniversary.
Woos – Phantom, Thunder, and Ciara
What a great idea! Unfortunately we’re too far away to participate in the walk ourselves, but we’re cheering you guys on!
We’d love to participate in the contest too, but honestly, I’m more in need of charity than fit to give it at the moment đ I really will try to get together some money to help out though.
I really loved all the Name Explanations too. I used to think I had a favorite Herd member, but now I’m not so sure!
Woo Herd! That is all wootastic!! We will paw woo some of the green stuff.
WOOOOOO woo rar rar rar,
Kayla and Maebe
Khongratulations to the Herd on becoming the lead dogs for the parade! How appropriate! We’ll be sending some bucks to the benefit, even though we didn’t come from rescues, we know how important they are!
jack a-roo & miss moo
What a great thing you are doing. Keep up the great work!
If only we weren’t so far away, we would khome spread our phloof – Mom sheds almost as much as I do sometimes – but don’t tell her I pawed that HERE –
I’m going to snag some greenpaperorplastikh and make a pawnation –
We’ve pawnated in the past to Sarge’s khause so we know the good they do –
Often times Mom’s passengers have been ‘residents’ of your region – so she knows more than enough –
I know I really don’t need to paw this but be sure and make us proud đ
Hugz&Khysses,
Khyra
I will sponsor you! I just completed a walk for the shelter that rescued me as well so I know how important this is!! We can’t make it to Waynesville, but will be rooting you on from a distance!
Your pal, Pip
I’ll be filling out a form. What a great cause!!!!
I love the vision of Rusty’s antics as you lead the parade. I hope that someone will be videotaping you!
You did a brilliant job with this – I just caught up on the holiday weekend e-mail thread and came running over to see what you were going to do. I hope you collect a pile of money. You could not have picked a better cause. Or should I say a better cause could not have picked you…
I really wish we didn’t live so far away! We would gladly be there if we could. We’ll definitely be cheering you on and waiting for the photos from this awesome event and of course we’ll have to get in on the sponsorship action, too!
We would like to help too!
Sam
Wow! This sounds like fun. I live in Minniesnowda, and I can’t come but I can send you some money. It won’t be big money but it might help.
Can we buy a T-shirt? I don’t need my picture on it, but it would be fun just to have an event T?
Cheers and good luck,
Stella and her Mom, Jo
What fun for a fantastic cause… unfortuneately, I live too far away…
Mum doesn’t have a checkbook but she says that this sounds like a wonderful cause and hopes that it brings a lot of support this year! Looking forward to seeing the Herd Marching Pics!