Tag: animal shelters

April is ASPCA Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month and the team here at BestBullySticks thought we should not only highlight the importance of this holiday, but also share a few ways you can lend a hand.

Acts of animal cruelty often go unnoticed by observers and owners alike. President of the American Animal Hospital Association (AHAA) DVM Gregg Takashima notes that in his twenty-five years as a veterinarian, most abuse cases he’s seen are the result of owners who have inadvertently neglected their pets simply because they don’t know any better.

Education and Activism

While animal cruelty strikes in variety of ways, they can all prevented through education. The first step to education is setting a good example as a pet owner. As a model caretaker, your actions will influence others. Community role models for pet care not only help curb instances of abuse among current owners, but future ones as well. Teaching children about responsible pet ownership at an early age will make them lifelong advocates in the fight against animal abuse.

Grassroots forms of activism like community education is of tremendous help to the cause. Consider looking into local volunteer opportunities as well. From raising awareness to caring for the abused, these opportunities are    widely available across the country. Contact your local SPCA to find about volunteering in your community. Read more

ATTN ANIMAL RESCUES & SHELTERS! Upload a photo of a dog who is the "Best Sport" of your animal organization and you could win a $1.7K donation!

Round 1 has begun and is the only time you can upload your photo! Rounds 2, 3 & the Super Howl Final will strictly be voting! Rescues will win monetary donations in each round!!

For more details and full rules, check out the photo charity contest! In each round rescues will win! 

A person of character is someone who takes a negative situation and makes it a positive one. That action and effort behind it says so much about a person. BestBullySticks.com knows hard work, dedication and a lot of care and compassion can go into changing circumstances for the better. Such is true of Kim Kapes and the rescue she founded, In Harmony With Nature. Both through personal experiences and bettering the lives of animals, Kim has not only made the best of it, but along with the dedicated IHWN volunteers has made a definitive difference. Read on to learn more about IHWN.

When & Why did you start?
In Harmony With Nature Animal Haven started out as a bird and reptile refuge in 2004.  We saw the great need to help other animals so the mission was expanded and became a federally recognized 501(C)3 charity in 2006. Our President, Kim Kapes had left a career as a firefighter because of a back injury but had always been an animal advocate prior to and throughout that job. Kim was always the one saving the animals during the emergency situations as a firefighter. Kim relocated to Florida and found the perfect location to do work that she was passionate about. She was well aware of animals being in need of help and knew that her experiences in life led her to begin this new path.

What's different about your rescue?
Kim spent time in England to further her knowledge of canine behavior and in the study of wolves. She developed an affinity for working with challenging dogs and began to specialize in rehab cases that other rescues would not take. Soon, Kim was evaluating wolf-dogs (hybrids) for other wolf rescue groups and decided to open the doors to those most misunderstood canines. Our group will travel across the Southeast to assist in rescue situations and bring animals back to the safety of our sanctuary.  Our animals mostly get to live in small pack settings to help their mind relax and start the process of healing.

What is the greatest success story or "win" that your rescue has had?
In the early time frame of our organization we took in some puppies that unknowingly had distemper. The virus spread to another liter and we had to go all out to save these precious little ones. We used both Eastern and Western veterinary interventions and had a 75% success rate. As good as that is, losing any was a tough thing. Two of the pups who beat the virus were Patti and Kodi. They were left with a constant muscle twitch that hampered their walking and caused the back legs to deteriorate. They both worked at growing up normally and they were so loving and playful.  The challenge would be getting them adopted with such a disability. The pups were two years old when a wonderful woman found Kodi online. She came out to meet him and realized Kodi had a sister. She could not bear the thought of separating them so she adopted them both. They already had two cats and two kids, so two dogs sounds just fine. Her daughter had epilepsy so she understood the seizures that the pups had gone through. As it turned out they became a great addition to the family and it was discovered that Patti detects the daughter’s seizures. The two dogs had found a loving forever home against all odds and have given back to the family in ways they could never have imagined.

What's the most rewarding thing about working at your rescue?
Seeing the transformation of a shy, scared animal as they begin to bond to you and trust you. The day you get your first wolf kiss will be one to remember. These are lives that you are an integral part of making better.

What can people do to help your rescue?
Obviously donations are greatly needed. We are working to raise funds to purchase our currently leased land and to create a facility on a separate 30-acre property for a retreat center where you can meet real wolves and reconnect with nature. If you are in the Orlando area we always need volunteers for on-property or administrative help. We can always use fencing materials to expand the living areas of our long-term residents. Gift cards to Sam's Club, Costco, Publix grocery stores, etc can go a long way. Share our IHWN Facebook page and help us spread the word about our work. Purchase a copy of Kim's book "From Wags To Riches" as the proceeds Kim makes go back to the animals.

A HUGE “Thank You” to Kim and all the volunteers at In Harmony With Nature for seeing a need and meeting it; for helping animals and saving lives. 

On Saturday, March 24^th it was raining. But that didn’t matter to 459 runners and 552 dogs and their families as they descended upon Richmond SPCA's Robins-Starr Humane Center in Richmond, Virginia with two purposes: to have fun and to raise $131,000 for the Richmond SPCA. 

Best Bully Sticks had the honor to support our local no-kill SPCA as a course sponsor for the 10^th Annual Dog Jog and 5k. This event means a lot to Best Bully’s not only because this SPCA is one of our largest animal shelters, but because they do such amazing work.  Read more

Every $1 Counts So Click to Give at Checkout!!

Best Bully Sticks is proud to announce the start of our ongoing Rescue & Shelter $1 Donation Program. We hope you will champion our cause and click to give in our efforts to raise money for rescue & shelter pets in need and save lives. Please donate a $1.00 at checkout to Rescues and Shelters in Need around the country. Help Best Bully Sticks lend a helping paw to worthy animal shelters and rescues around the country who are dedicated to the safety and protection of animals. Many of these non-profit animal shelters and rescues rely upon the generosity of volunteers and donations to continue their rescue efforts and they need help. Bring joy into the life of animals awaiting a forever home to call their own and help rescue many more animals in need by donating $1. The money raised will help with out reach, basic animal necessities and rescue programs.

So, we encourage you to put your money where your heart is by making a heartfelt donation. Remember its not the size of the donation that matters but the size of the heart. Please join us in our efforts to give back to animal rescues and shelters who give back everyday. Thanks to your generous support we can help animal rescues & shelters protect and provide for dogs, cats and animals all around the country.

How It Works!

*Best Bully Sticks will match dollar for dollar. For every $1 you donate at checkout we will donate a $1 (i.e. If 500 customers donate a $1.00 for a total $500 Best Bully Sticks match the contributions raised)
*All the money raised will be donated to animal rescues & shelters (100% no administration fees) and audited by a Third party
*Donations raised by you will be given to 3 different rescues monthly. All money donated will be shown publicly and organizations that benefit will be announced on our blog.
*We will interact via contests, story submissions, guest blogs, etc with animal rescue and shelters for their chance to be one of the 3 organizations donated to each month.

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If you find anything on bestbullysticks.com for less on another website (excluding Amazon and Ebay), let us know and we’ll credit the difference to you. It must be the same item. For bulk items, we’ll try our best to match the price. Email us at bbinfo@bestbullysticks.com with any questions or to take advantage of this great new service.