As with any good rescue-dog-mom, I talk about the fact that my dog is a rescue.
A lot.
Probably too much, if we’re being really honest with each other.
“Guys, why. Why would you do this to me.”
But, like any Crazy Dog Lady – a title I wear with pride, clearly – I care a lot about animal rescue. It’s important to me, and The Dog is such a good boy. He’s a perfect example of how truly wonderful rescue dogs can be, and I’ve even had people react with surprise when they learn we got him when he was already 2 years old.
(Trust me when I say that a surprised reaction gets that person well and truly stuck in a five-minute conversation about how great rescue dogs are, and how wrong the stereotypes of rescued dogs can be.)
That’s why I’ve been looking forward to this Tuesday all weekend – and by all weekend, I’m 100% including Thursday and Friday, since they’re included in the laundry list of Shopping Days that went on this “weekend.”
While I spend all year lending my voice (trust me when I say people on my Facebook friends list are sick of hearing about dogs) and my time supporting local rescue groups, there are a few times during the year that I make sure to support animal rescues with my money.
#GivingTuesday is one of those times.
Just in case you haven’t heard of it – it never causes quite the stir that Black Friday does for some reason – #GivingTuesday is a day intended to “kick off the season of giving.” It’s also the absolutely perfect antidote to the overflowing inbox full of marketing messages I assume we all have right about now.
It’s a day dedicated to giving gifts of time and money to charities of all shapes and sizes, and spending your resources on something bigger than yourself.
The Perfect Antidote to All That Marketing
For the past five days, I’ve been inundated with carefully crafted messages sent by marketers who probably know me better than my boyfriend does. Seriously, I work in marketing – you would not believe how well they know you.
But there was a very potent combination of forces that gave me superpowers in terms of resisting the avalanche of ads that showed up from every brand I ever even thought of giving my email address to in the past ten years.
One: I knew Giving Tuesday was coming up, and I wanted to make sure I had earmarked money in my budget to make a donation to a local animal rescue group.
Two: OMG PUPPIES.
These are the actual puppies that show up in my Facebook news feed. HOW CUTE ARE THEY.
Specifically, the ones in care at one of my favourite local rescues here in Ottawa, Sit With Me Rescue. I follow them on Facebook, and since early fall, they’ve taken in a whole bunch of puppies – 40 of them, to be specific. Some of these puppies had to be cared for around the clock, because they lost their moms as early as a week after they were born. Puppies at that stage are basically as needy as newborns, and require round-the-clock care and bottle feedings.
But now, those puppies are growing like weeds, which makes for some very cute photos, and some very big dog food bills for the rescue.
Puppies experiencing snow for the first time? I cannot. It’s too cute.
That’s why I was able to resist all the shopping opportunities that popped up this weekend.
The puppies. And how much my contribution can help support the amazing work the fosters and volunteers have done for them over their tiny lives, while still taking care of dogs of all ages and placing them in amazing homes.
That’s what I want to “buy” this “weekend.”
Make the Most of Your Giving Tuesday
If you want to get in on the #GivingTuesday fun, here’s my humble suggestion.
We spent the past five days wading through marketing sent by the savviest marketers out there. Some of the charities that need our support the most have the fewest resources to reach us, to let us know about the cute puppies who need our help*.
*insert your own favourite heartstring-tugger here.
So instead of being passive recipients of marketing messages, and responding when they show up, let’s take back marketing this #GivingTuesday. Let’s go out and do our research, find a cause and a small organization you believe in, that is really make a meaningful difference in the world, and give them your money. Instead of relying on them to find you, target you with just the right ask, and then be rewarded with your money, let’s be active participants in the best of all the “shopping” holidays.
And while we’re at it, let’s do some small bit of marketing for them, and tell the world about them on the platforms that we have – even if it just means texting your mom to remind her that today is Giving Tuesday.
I would love to hear which organizations are near and dear to your heart – feel free to link them in the comments! Happy Giving Tuesday, everyone.
Puppies are always good motivation! Well done giving. Growing up we did a Christmas gift rotation. We would go to three different places as a family, draw a name for who to shop for, and have an experience together there (ie: a bookstore, etc.). The fourth rotation was a charity. We had to pick a charity that person would enjoy and give money in their name. As a kid, I always wanted a wolf donation. They sent me pictures and updates of my wolf! It was a great way to introduce charitable giving.
Oh that’s wonderful – both the gift rotation and the wolf! I had something similar – my mom “got me” a polar bear through the World Wildlife Foundation, and I kept the “Adoption” certificate on my wall well into high school.
I was cool like that?
Hahaha but it’s still one of my favourite gifts that I’ve ever received, and they still have that program. I think in the next few years it’s what I’ll be getting one of my boyfriend’s young cousins for Christmas – she’s so into animals that it’d be right up her alley as soon as she’s old enough to get it!
I was just as cool as you… that wolf picture was proudly displayed for a long time! Her name was Matsi, by the way. 🙂
Haha amazing! Kindred totally cool spirits 😉 I don’t think my polar bear had a name but we can call him Fred. He looked like a Fred.
I love this post! My dog is a rescue dog too, and I don’t understand how more people don’t see how great this is. The Dog is very lucky to have you 🙂 And, obviously, you may be even more lucky to have him 🙂
My favorite doggy charity is http://www.shibas4life.us. That is where I got both of my dogs (one now lives with the ex). I love to give back to the wonderful people that brought me my angels, and help other dogs get well and find homes.
You have a shiba?! Oh my god they are the cutest dogs, and I think having a rescue involved in making sure they’re going to homes prepared for their personalities is amazing. I’ve heard they can be characters, and it’s so much easier to make sure it’ll be a great fit and the dog is set up for success when you have the rescue group to work with!
Also – I’m sorry one of them no longer lives with you. I’m sure that was no fun at all.
aaaahhhh, puppies!!!!! 🙂
It just so happens that I dog-sat my brother’s rescue dog over the weekend, and I had such a good time. She too also really, really sweet and obedient. I actually didn’t realize that rescue dogs had any type of negative stereotypes around them.
Also, guess what else I didn’t know until today? That it was Giving Tuesday. Or that Giving Tuesday existed. How did I not know this? Sheesh. In any case, I’m a big fan of the Prison Book Program, which delivers books to prisoners across the U.S. who write and request them. (Maybe you have something similar in Canada?) Their headquarters happens to be located just outside of Boston, and I’ve volunteered there before, which often involves reading prisoners’ letters, choosing books to send to them, and boxing them up to be shipped. A lot of prisoners request books that will help them study for their GED, as well as dictionaries, novels, books on art, science, philosophy, history, etc., etc….) It’s a great organization. Everyone deserves a second chance, I think.
http://prisonbookprogram.org
That’s amazing – everyone does deserve a second chance, and you have such a warm heart for getting involved with the organization!
Also, I think your love of books is just the absolute best, and I’m not at all surprised that an organization that gives more people access to the books they’re looking for is one of your favourite causes! It’s clearly true what they say about voracious readers being the best writers 😉 congrats again on your Rockstar feature today!
Aw, thanks so much, that’s really nice. 🙂
Also, I will never in my life get tired of seeing the word “favourite” spelled with a “u”. It’s so awesome. I don’t know why we can’t just start doing that here.
Also, why can’t I produce a typo-free comment?
*is also
Great post, it’s made me think about mindfully selecting an organisation to support rather than just giving donations to whoever comes knocking or approaches me in the shopping centre. I have a rescue dog too, although she was a puppy when we got her. She’s absolutely the perfect dog for us 🙂
Oh that’s awesome Robyn! It’s taken me a long (long, long) time to really focus on supporting only the causes that are nearest and dearest to me, instead of just participating in the easiest / nearest opportunity to give back, which is partially why I decided to write this!
Ah, this is fantastic!! I love your take on #Giving Tuesday. 🙂 I can’t wait for the day that my fiancé & I decide to rescue a puppy/dog as well (we’re getting closer! We actually got the chance to play with our neighbors greyhound that they rescued and we fell in LOVE). This post actually falls so much in line with one I am having go live in two weeks (about a flexible philanthropy fund)! One of the biggest near & dear organizations to me is The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (or Pancan for short). I participate in their yearly 5K in Portland and also donate regularly. Oftentimes, I will head on over to CharityWatch.org and donate to various causes as well. Thanks for spreading such positive awareness and messages on this day! 🙂
Ooooh, I can’t wait to read your post! It sounds like something I might have to consider and a great goal for the new year!
Also, oh my god dogs! I’m the most excited for you, and also so happy to hear you guys are taking it slow – that’s what my boyfriend and I did, mostly based on his input, haha, and it was way better than rushing into it. We talked about it for almost a whole year before taking the plunge and adopting, and we were so much more prepared for the expense and the responsibility when we finally did! We actually agreed that the dog was our “early Christmas present” to each other last year, even though he was adopted in October, haha. It definitely helped us absorb the expense!
Oh my goodness, yes. Those puppies pics put me in dog lover overload. I’ve got a couple rescues myself, although they were rescued as puppies and before they ever saw the inside of a shelter. One was literally in the drop off bin outside the pound (and we pulled him out) and the other was being dropped off at a shelter while I was there as part of their grand opening. Dogs. One of my major goals in life is to either own or significantly support a rescue shelter. I give to my hometown’s no kill shelter whenever I can. Once this debt is gone, they’ll see a more regular gift from me. Dogs. I wouldn’t make it on Earth without them.
YES! I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this before, but my retirement goal is to move out to the country and have space to take in ALL the rescue dogs. 17 is my anecdotal number, but I figure I can work up to that, haha.
I love that you took in your dogs as puppies too – it’s definitely a different experience (and way more work!) than adding an adult dog to your life, and I’m so glad that there are people who are open to both experiences 🙂
Lastly, I couldn’t agree more about not making it without a dog – The Dog is my first dog, but within about a week of having him I knew I’d never *not* have a dog again. I’ll cut out just about everything else to make sure I have room in my budget for a dog (or two! Which I’ve been promised once we have a bigger yard in a few years, haha.)
Something tells me that we would get along great. 🙂 We love the animals (especially all the puppies) and try to give to our local shelter and other animal welfare orgs as generous as we can, with both our time and our money. Naturally, both of our dogs are rescues, and I’m sure we have the same conversation with our friends that you do with yours — how good they are, how untrue the shelter pet stigma is, etc., etc. Even our older dog who we got as an adult and was a mega-spaz at first just needed to learn to trust us and relax, and after a few months turned into such a good boy. (I think you know, but ours are also black boy dogs, which are the least likely to be adopted… and the hardest to photograph!) 🙂
Thank you for spreading the word about Giving Tuesday. We didn’t send money yesterday, only because we already have so many donations automated to go monthly, and we’ll do another big batch right at the end of the year once we know what our year-end bonuses are.
Oh I think we would get along so well too! It’s funny how well you get a sense of that reading people’s writing, haha, but seriously – I’m half considering making the trip to the next FinCon just to meet people in person.
I did know that you guys also have black dogs, but I didn’t know it was also for that reason! That was a big factor in us adopting The Dog too, knowing that in addition to being a sweetheart, adult black male dogs had some of the lowest chances in a shelter environment. If the worst part about him is the difficulty in photographing him, I consider it a big win. (Also, you guys are the best for giving your dogs time to adjust and trust you! I know that goes without saying but seriously – kudos.)