The only thing sweeter than a heartwarming fundraiser is one that features lots of adorable canines! A group of Dachshund lovers in Alice Springs, Australia, wanted to meet up for the cutest dog event. They later decided to use the event to raise funds for animals in need at the local shelter.
At first, the organizers had no idea how many dachshunds would show up, but they ended up being pleasantly surprised with the results. Not only did they help make a difference for animals at the shelter, but they also befriended many fellow dog lovers to hopefully create an annual celebration.
The Cutest Canine Fundraiser!
Dachshund parents Lauren Ward and Alycia Bongiorno got the idea for the event after seeing a post about what dog breeds people in their area had. Only a handful of people mentioned Dachshunds, but those Dachshund lovers began chatting. From there, they planned an in-person meet-up.
“We just started chatting, and developed a group, and then we were like, ‘oh we’ll do like a dachshund meet.’ But now it’s obviously turned into a full dachshund day,” Ward said.
So, Ward and Bongiorno got to work on planning a Dachshund Day at the Albrecht Oval in Alice Springs. Some of the exciting events they planned were a raffle, doggy ball pit, and pet portraits. Soon, several businesses donated items to the event for gift bags and prizes.
However, as the dog moms got planning, they realized that they could do even more with the event. They decided to make Dachshund Day a fundraiser to gather donations for Alice Springs Animal Shelter.
Darling Dachshunds Encourage More Donations
Dachshund Day didn’t require any entry fees, but guests were encouraged to donate pet food upon arrival. The raffle tickets and sales from Dachshund merchandise also helped raise funds for the shelter.
“I’m always seeing the animal shelter run out of food, or they’re looking for donations, and we were like, ‘well, if we’re going to celebrate a particular breed, then we might as well put a cause behind it,'” Ward said.
At first, Ward and Bongiorno weren’t sure how many Dachshunds would attend. They expected to only have a few participants. But to their surprise, over 20 Dachshunds and their families showed up, and the event was a huge success! They ended up raising $650 on top of the food donations.
Rebecca King from the Alice Springs Animal Shelter said that fundraising events like this are crucial for their shelter to operate. With the funds they currently have, affording medical care for animals is difficult. Luckily, the Dachshund lovers are hoping to do this event again in the future, but it will likely be an annual celebration. Hopefully, it will inspire more dog lovers to find exciting ways to fundraise too!
H/T: abc.net.au
Featured Image: Facebook and Facebook
Toledo, United States.