Saving Lives One Step at a Time

Best Friend’s Animal Society has put together an amazing series of events called Strut Your Mutt; a chance for animal lovers to come together and raise money to save the lives of homeless pets. Strutt Your Mutt was built because of the heartbreaking fact that many cats and dogs are killed in shelters because they don’t have a place to call home. It is an annual dog walk for people of all ages and their canine companion to contribute fundraising towards saving all animals.

While being a fundraiser for an amazing cause, Strutt Your Mutt is also a super fun event! During the walk, there will be activities such as dog yoga, music, contests, food trucks and more.  And don’t forget all of the adorable pups everyone will bring! There was a huge turnout across the country last year and over $2.6 million was raised in the name of saving homeless pets. This is definitely a great opportunity to benefit both your animal community and have a fun family outing (all while walking the dog!).

This exciting event will be happening in 14 different cities in the months of September and October this year. Participants can register solo or in groups, and for those who love pets but can’t own them, you can still join in without a dog! When you register, just select a participating local animal welfare group and Best Friends will help you raise money to support their efforts, or you can choose to raise money for the animals at Best Friends. Ready to start saving lives? Step up today!  

Here is a list of all of the locations Strutt Your Mutt will be held in:

Atlanta – September 8

Austin – September 15 

Kanab – September 15 

Portland – September 22

St. Louis – September 22

Minneapolis – September 29

San Francisco – September 29

Jacksonville September 29

New York City – October 6

DC Metro – October 6 

Houston – October 13

Salt Lake City – October 13

Los Angeles – October 20

Phoenix – October 20 

Strut Your Mutt Day – October 27

More information on dates and locations can be found on their website: strutyourmutt.org

Want to help, but live too far away? Don’t worry, Best Friend’s Animal Society has created the official Strut Your Mutt Day on October 27th ! Just like the other events, you can raise money up until the event date and donate online, either to Best Friends or to a participating local animal welfare group in your area!

**Bonus!** Register with your human bestie by August 13th and you’ll be entered to win a trip to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary for you and your friend. Just enter your friend’s first and last name during registration and be sure they enter your name as well when they register.

Pricing:

Live event registration (adult) – $15

Live event registration (youth)- $10

Strut Your Mutt Day registration – $15

Struttyourmutt.org

Help Animals by Baking a Difference for BC SPCA’s National Cupcake Day

Looking to make a difference in 2018? One simple way to do just that is to get involved in the BC SPCA’s National Cupcake Day. By baking cupcakes and giving them away in exchange for a donation, participants can improve the lives of abused, abandoned and neglected animals in our communities.

National Cupcake Day is cross-country event presented by the BC SPCA, the Ontario SPCA and participating humane societies. This year, Cupcake Day falls on Monday, Feb. 26 (the last Monday of February), but animal lovers and bakers are encouraged to fundraise throughout January and February.

“When it comes to baking, cupcakes are pretty foolproof. Trust me, if I can make them, anyone can,” says National Cupcake Day spokesperson and TV host Kristina Matisic. “Over the past few years we’ve seen kids, small businesses and large companies get involved. I love the cute creations that people come up with and seeing all the donations come in.”

Participants who register at www.nationalcupcakeday.ca before Wednesday, Jan. 31 and raise $50 will be entered in a draw to win a KitchenAid Stand mixer, the perfect tool for whipping up delicious cupcakes and frosting.

Last year, Canadians raised more than $600,000 through their baking and fundraising efforts. Since the campaign’s inception in 2013, $2.45 million has been raised, with proceeds going to participating SPCAs and humane societies across the country. 

“It’s a very important campaign for us in terms of fundraising for the work that we do and it’s wonderful to see how much it has grown over the past few years,” says BC SPCA CEO Craig Daniell. “It’s a delicious way to show your compassion for animals.”

The BC SPCA will use the funds to find homes for surrendered, rescued, neglected or abused animals, and provide emergency care to injured animals. The society would like to give special thanks to sponsors Agency59, BMO, Hill’s® Science Diet® and Used.ca.

“At the end of the day, it’s not about how well you bake. It’s about helping animals in need. So even if you’re not much of a baker, not to worry. You can always donate to someone who is participating or directly to the campaign via the website,” says Matisic.

“There are many ways to get involved and to make a difference.”

How you can get involved:   

1.   Register for FREE at www.nationalcupcakeday.ca

2.   Everyone who registers and makes a self-donation of $25 or more will be sent a host kit including a fundraising guide, cupcake selfie frame, mini tote bag and more. The host kit materials are also available for download on the website.

3.   Customize your Personal Fundraising Centre online and ask your friends, family and colleagues to support your fundraising efforts.

4.   Send your friends and family an email through your participant centre, encouraging them to show their support by donating online.

5.   Plan your National Cupcake Day Party for home, work, school or wherever you think people would love to eat cupcakes.

6.   Hold your National Cupcake Day Party on Monday, Feb. 26 or any day in January or February that works for you.

7.   Bake, decorate and eat!

Visit nationalcupcakeday.ca to register, bake and donate.

About the BC SPCA

The BC SPCA is a non-profit organization funded primarily by public donations. Our mission is to prevent cruelty and to promote the welfare of animals through a wide range of services, including cruelty investigations, emergency rescue and treatment, sheltering and adoption of homeless and abused animals, humane education, advocacy, farm animal welfare, spay/neuter programs, and wildlife rescue and rehabilitation.