“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” – Gandhi.
Every year, 2.5 million dogs in U.S. shelters are euthanized. To save dogs from this horrible fate, Lisa Young and Delilah Loud founded The Rescue Train, a LA-based nonprofit, no-kill organization dedicated to rescuing dogs and cats off the streets and from shelters before euthanasia. On December 10, 2016, they held their second annual “Hair of the Dog” event to raise awareness and funds, so that more dogs and cats could be saved.
Source: The Rescue Train
Photo Credit: Lindy Huang Werges
Multiple wine companies and conscious businesses participated in this meaningful evening of wine tasting, holiday shopping, and silent auction, from which a portion of the proceeds benefited The Rescue Train. Among them were Stag’s Leap Winery, Hoopla Wine, Orin Swift, and The Prisoner Wine Company. The Rescue Train also displayed their own line of merchandise for sale, such as animal themed clothing, pet gears, and a variety of animal rope toys.
A notable conscious business is CRASH, a company that makes eco-chic jewelry from luxury automobiles. Each piece of jewelry, from earrings, necklaces, bracelets, to cuffs, is handmade from cars with their original factory paint. By transforming cast-off materials into beautiful and luxury accessories, CRASH founder Christi Schimpke has not only produced jewelry that is sustainable, but that also tells a unique story.
Photo Credit: Lindy Huang Werges
Photo Credit: Lindy Huang Werges
Another business worth mentioning is Bitchfix, an online business that offers a great selection of artisan chocolates, all handcrafted to quell the cravings and ravings of women. In addition to catering to the needs of women, the owners of Bitchfix are devoted animal lovers and rescuers, which is why they devote 10% of all their sales to help spay and neuter at-risk dogs. As they say, “we care about all Bitches – including the four-legged kind.”
Source: Bitchfix
Photo: Lindy Huang Werges
About The Rescue Train
As a no-kill, nonprofit organization with a mission to save animals from euthanasia, The Rescue Train seeks to eliminate animal suffering through adoptions, rehabilitation, education, pet food banks, dedication to spay and neuter, and shelter intervention. Their Shelter Intervention Program, in particular, saw great success in empowering pet owners with options other than surrendering their family pet to animal shelters. By offering free spay and neuter, vaccines, dogs or cat food, and paying license or redemption fees, the program has dramatically reduced the number of animals entering shelters.
Other Rescue Train programs include Race for the Rescues, an annual event that funds and supports other important animal welfare organizations, and Trained for Life, a program that offer complete obedience training to shelter dogs prior to adoption. Through a combination of education, rescue work, and raising awareness, The Rescue Train hopes that one day, their services will not be needed, and there is a loving home for every dog and cat in the world.