Our Favorite Things: Animal Rescue and Raffles

Update 3.1.7.11--We are so saddened to report that Shy unexpectedly died yesterday.

As Heather's fiance Kyle writes The details of what happened are unclear, but we know it was not from a lack of love and care from her new owners and online followers. Please keep her in your hearts, and know that she will always hold a part of ours. We want to thank everyone for the overwhelming support that we received through this process. It reminds us of how truly generous strangers can be. Future posts will discuss what is to be done with the donated funds. Thank you again from the bottom of our hearts and know that Shy thanks you too.  We know so many of you have been touched by the Story of Shy, and we were so excited to have so many people work together to fund her cataract surgery.

So, we have an update, some good news, and some better news. We had written before about Shy: the sweet courageous, emaciated pit bull who was originally brought to the animal hospital to be euthanized. Seeing something special in her, the veterinarian asked the owners to relinquish her instead. Shy was diagnosed with diabetes and treated; however, since she was brought in so late, she developed cataracts and lost much of her vision. When we last wrote, we were looking for a foster or forever home for Shy, and we opened a Chipin page to raise money for a specialized surgery to restore Shy's vision. We were absolutely astonished by the generosity of the online community to help Shy in her plight.

 Since we last wrote, a sweet, young couple found out about Shy, and they adopted her two weeks after their first meeting. They renamed her Khloe, and she has become a loved member of their little family.
As a way to thank everyone for their generosity, and hopefully raise the final amount towards Shy's surgery (only 29%!), we have put together an online raffle that includes the "favorite things" we've showcased throughout this past week! Here is a recap of the prizes, with specific raffle directions at the end of the post.

"Specialized Prizes"--We were lucky enough to get some large ticket donations for the raffle. To increase the odds of everyone winning the prize they really want, each raffle ticket will be entered into 1 of the 'specialized prizes' drawings, and all of the 'Everyday dog' drawings. Specialized Prizes include:

 1) The Ruffwear Approach pack as modeled by Mr. B on our daily walks. We love how this backpack not only helps us carry dog groceries and farmer's market finds, but it can also be an amazing training tool and a way to way to tire your dog out on even the shortest walks. The winner of this drawing will indicate the specific size needed. Donated by Shy's new family.

 2) A DianaF+ Mini Lomography Camera with flash.We can't get enough pictures of our pooches, and we especially love this camera with it's serendipitous shots. I love seeing how our pooches would have looked circa 1972, and the artistic surprises we get with with light leaks and blurs. Scenery shots are especially fun and give a whole new tone to your vacation. It's cute enough to be its own accessory, and it takes regular 35 mm film. This camera is new in the box, unopened with plastic wrapping, and includes the flash. It retails for $105. Donated by Miss M and Mr. B.

3) A custom dog painting of your pooch on canvas. The talented Lauren of Kitty+Coco is donating her time to paint a custom portrait of your pooch. The portrait will be a 16x16 acrylic on canvas. The winner will need to send 2 clear photos (at least one close up) and choice of background color. There will be a 3 week turnaround time for completion and shipping. I love the Victorian element of having your pooch "sit for a painting", and I am still amazed how she captures each and every one of Coco's wrinkles.
P.S.If you are interested in Lauren's work, which would also make the most amazing gift, she will offer a special discount to anyone who orders a painting in reference to this post ($75 for a 12x12 with FREE shipping). Just click on contact and say "For Shy". A 4x5 mini pet portrait is $25 total with shipping Check out more of Lauren's work at her Etsy shop here. Donated by Lauren of Kitty+Coco.

Each ticket will be entered into your prize of choice above, as well as being eligible for all of the "Everyday Dog" prizes below:
 We had written about some of our favorite collar-makers, who are also involved in rescue efforts, and we are so delighted that they have donated collars for Shy's raffle.

1) Two winners will receive collars of choice from Sirus Republic. We love their array of colorful, stylish collars that have us thinking of spring. Plus, Sirus Republic will be donating  20% of the proceeds from sale of collars, leashes, and dog tags, and 10% of other items to Shy's surgery! Customers will need to enter the donation code "funds4shy" during checkout in the "Rescue Code" field.

 2)  One winner will receive a standard collar of choice from Silly Buddy. We are especially smitten with the tartan collars (and even in hot pink!).

3) One winner will receive a collar of choice from Pecan Pie Puppies. I'm loving these dainty special-occasion collars, but you really have to check out the site to see what they have for the male dogs.

4) One winner will receive a 6 month supply of flea/tick preventative for dogs or cats. Winners will need to indicate the weight of the animal to ensure the correct dosage. Donated by Shy's Animal Hospital

 5) One winner will receive a Saucony Backpack perfect for toting items while running, hiking, or just going on a picnic with your pooch. Donated by Vet School Drama Queen

Two winners will receive doggie care packages including jars of homemade dog biscuits complete with ribbon, recipe and and bone cookie-cutters. The biscuits are pumpkin-peanutbutter and cheddar-flavored and donated by cooking guru Trissi.

Update--We are so excited to have reached our surgery goal of $2,000! Thank you so much to everyone for their generosity and for taking a chance on Shy/Khloe! Since we stated the raffle will be open for 2 weeks, we will keep the raffle open until the end of this week. Funds donated at this time will be used for unanticipated surgery costs (since surgery quotes are never certain), and any donations beyond the surgery amount will be donated to an animal-related charity. Thank you again!

 Logistics:
 This is our first time doing this.We really want to thank everyone who has donated to help Shy, and we are still amazed by the generosity of this online community. Below are some of the technicalities. We want to make this a fair and positive experience for everyone, but if there is something we happen to have overlooked, please do let us know.
-Each $10 donation will count as one raffle ticket.
-When donations are made on the chipin page, please indicate in the comments which "Specialized Prize" you would like to put your ticket in. (Dog Backpack, Lomography Camera, or Custom Dog Painting)
-Heather will be contacting previous donors to see which "Specialized Prize" you are interested in
-All tickets will automatically be entered into all the "Everyday Dog" prizes in addition to your "Specialized Prize". If you buy multiple tickets, you will be entered multiple times to increase your chances of winning.
-"Everyday Dog" prizes are chosen at random. Unfortunately, you cannot select which of the prizes within the "Everyday Dog" category you would prefer.
-The raffle will be open for 2 weeks--until March 26.
-Winners will be chosen at random through an online random number generator that Heather will coordinate.
-When winners are notified, we will coordinate the information and shipment of your prize.
-Shipping only within US and Canada
-For specific questions, please contact Heather here: hprochnow at gmail.com 
You can donate by clicking on our sidebar, or by clicking here.
Again, we want to thank everyone for your amazing support and generosity. We are still humbled seeing the amount of people who have come together to support Shy to give her a chance for a happy life.