Students from Explorer Middle School digital media class share information about their favorite animal charity organization and provide information how anyone can give back this holiday season.
GOLDEN HEART
By Sydney and Lauren
Some dogs are said to have a heart of gold. The dogs known as golden retrievers, popularly known for their majestic golden fur, and even their hearts of gold, need your help. The Southern Arizona Golden Retriever Rescue, or SAGRR, has a wide variety of warm-hearted and kind golden and golden mixes, who have been unclaimed, near-euthanized, surrendered, or treated poorly by their former masters. Every dog deserves a second chance at a happy and safe life, and with the help of you, your family, and your friends, the right help and resources can be provided for them.
While adopting a dog from SAGRR may or may not be the best option for you, there are other ways you can help. The Southern Arizona Golden Retriever Rescue has a large variety of items available for purchase at their online store.
ALL money goes directly to the rescue and the dogs within it. As well as purchasing from the online store, you can also send donations in the mail.
Looking to directly help one dog? No problem! SAGRR has a great sponsoring system. Sponsoring a dog is giving money to help pay for a dog’s medical needs and supplies to take care of him or her before they are adopted. Sponsoring is a great way to help, benefitting an amazing furry friend.
Okay, so you want to adopt a dog? Great! SAGRR has an easy, quick, and inexpensive adoption process, suiting you up with the golden companion of your choice! Golden retrievers are kind-spirited and loyal companions, perfect for a family with younger or older children. As well as being beautiful dogs with great personalities, they are also extremely easy to train. Golden retrievers are very active dogs, and great for anyone who loves to engage in physical activity, and lots of exercise. Goldens are highly social dog, and love children, other dogs, and sometimes even cats!
It’s great to be active in your community, and help anyone who needs it. These amazing family companions could surely use your help. Golden Retrievers are some of the best dogs you could ever meet. Start today, and help the golden dog with a golden heart. For more information, go to www.southernazgoldenretrieverrescue.com
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HORSES HELP
By Samantha and Sophie
Think, what have you planned to do to help your community in the upcoming holiday season? Instead of tossing your extra grocery store change into a charity box, what else could you do that can strongly make a difference? You may consider helping a worthy organization such as, Horses Help.
Horses Help is a charity that instructs children and adults with disabilities to ride horses. It gives them a memorable and enjoyable experience that can add a positive perspective of their life. With the help of science, Horses Help discovered that the sensation of riding a horse can relieve mental stress, in this case, found in children and adults of all ages. Horses Help was created in 1987 by a family request to help people with their physical, emotional, and mental disorders. Throughout the beginning of their growth, they served only 15 riders per week in an unsustainable backyard area. Now, they have maximized and relocated to currently serve 100 riders per week in a proper facility. They presently continue to help our community and transform the lives of others.
You may be wondering how can I contribute? Horses Help is always in need of donations. Something as simple as tissues, paper towels, and computer paper can also be helpful. If you are contemplating whether you should provide small essentials or a larger project, visit their website to expand your knowledge on Horses Help. Even a grocery gift card can be a generous donation for their constantly progressing business. To figure out more ways in which you can support this organization, visit horseshelp.org. To contact them about donations and more, call (602)-569-6056. Take action today because Horses Help needs you!
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The Oasis Sanctuary Foundation
By Bannack and Alexis
The Oasis Sanctuary Foundation is a rescue and rest home for unique species of birds. The foundation is located in Scottsdale, Arizona. This article is in this magazine to inform you about this charity for birds in need. The Oasis Sanctuary Foundation was discovered in January 2007. You can help by donating money or volunteering at the shelter. You should assist because some of the birds have special needs and are hurt.
The birds at the foundation come from other adoption organizations. About half of the birds have gone from home to home being physically and emotionally abused. A large amount of the birds are resigned from breeding. Most of them are housed with the same types of birds so they experience more comfortably. The birds are also incapable of human communication.
We hope that while you were examining this article you become interested in helping. Please consider participating in this charity. Make the birds joyful!
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Ronan Thompson Foundation
By Austin and Donald
Every child deserves to live a full and prosperous life. That’s what the Ronan Thompson foundation is all about. Ronan Thompson was an unfortunate victim of neuroblastoma, a common solid tumor cancer infants can develop. Ronan was about 3 years old when he was diagnosed with the illness and lived another full year before he died. In that year, he went through five rounds of chemotherapy, an MIBG scan, underwent radiation and ICE, Ifosfamide Carboplatin Etoposide, which is a chemotherapy regiment used in the treatment of lymphoma. His parents were told Ronan could not do MIBG therapy, and to make the most of what time he had left.
Even though Ronan’s battle has ended, his legacy is still with us to save other children.
You can help support his mission by buying the brand bigcartel t-shirts showing your Team Roan spirit or buy the Spicy Monkey headwear from Spirithoods. You can also donate directly to The Ronan Thompson Foundation, all found at theronanthompsonfoundation.com.
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Power Paws
By Ethan and Ali
The mission of Power Paws is to provide highly skilled assistance dogs to adults and children with disabilities throughout the United States. Power Paws also provides education and continuing support for working assistance dog teams as well as to be a resource in the community for people with disabilities.
Power Paws provides three main types of dogs:
a. Assistance dogs;
b. Diabetic alert dogs; and
c. hearing dogs.
Each type of dog is trained to perform a specific kind of task:
Assistance Dogs are tasked to do many challenging things such as:
• Turning light switches on and off
• Opening and closing doors and drawers
• Retrieving lost or dropped items
• Untying shoelaces
• Removing gloves and socks
• Most importantly, providing love and companionship
Diabetic alert dogs have been specially trained to tell when a diabetic patient’s glucose levels are high or low.
Hearing dogs are the ears of our people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Power Paws breed, raise, train and place primarily purebred Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers by training these dogs to know and respond to more than 90 different commands. These commands allow each dog to respond appropriately so they can assist adults and children with their specific disability. Power Paws is a non-profit organization who verifies that all dogs trained are screened to ensure they have no unforeseen health problems; their goal is to provide each patient with a service dog that will last many years. If you are interested in donating to the Power Paws Assistance Dogs Association, please visit azpowerpaws.org today.
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Jordan’s Jungle, Inc
By Bella and Ally
You could change a child’s life forever by donating today at Jordan’s Jungle, Inc… This company is a local non-profit charity based out of Phoenix Arizona. At Jordan’s Jungle, Inc. their charity provides donated stuffed animals to hospitalized children all year round. This company’s main goal is to “help bring smiles to sick kid’s faces” and one of their mottos is “kids aren’t just sick during the holidays” By you giving up a few minutes of your time you could support this amazing organization by changing one child’s life at a time. One bear, one child, one smile.
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Home Fur Good Charity
By Victoria and Tania
Every single day cats and dogs are getting abused or lurking the streets all alone. Now, an amazing group of people have taken action to eliminate euthanasia in Maricopa County. With a high rating of 4.5 stars on Yelp, Home Fur Good is providing quality medical care, neuter procedure, and helpful education for pet owners.
Home Fur Good has a wide variety of cats and dogs to adopt from. On their website they make it easy to find your perfect pet. You can select the age, size, and breed of the animal. If you are unsure about adopting, there is no need to rush! They have events every single day, so you can adopt your pet any time you’d want. If you would like to donate, no amount is too small, but, a donation of $100.00 would feed and care for many homeless animals. With the holiday season around the corner, you would be giving them the wonderful twelve days of Christmas!
Nevertheless, Home Fur Good gives many homeless animals a second chance at life. By you adopting or donating to this charity, you changed the life of a precious animal. Do you want to make a difference?
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The Fetch Foundation
By Gianna and Landon
Woof! Woof! You hear your dog bark from your burning house. You and your family have escaped the fire safely, so you run towards the firemen to inform them about the dog. Luckily, one of them has proper equipment to save the dog thanks to the Fetch Foundation. Moments later your dog is carried to safety out of the home.
The Fetch Foundation is a non-profit organization that creates rescue dog programs and saves pets from neglect, fires, hoarding, car accidents, and abandonment. The first program is named the search and rescue program, which works with rescue shelters to look for dogs who have the personality traits of a rescue K9. The second program is called the Military Veterans Companion Program which rescues dogs to be given to a military veteran to assist them with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
The third and final program is called the Fido Bag program. This program supplies the proper equipment to firemen to save pets immediately from house fires. However, these do not come free. Donations are important and are required to help get these bags to firehouses. You can donate now at www.thefetchfoundation.com.
