When your house is on fire, you call the fire department. When you need police protection, you call the police department. But what if you called and nobody answered? Since these are local government agencies, unless your town goes bankrupt, the likely hood of that happening is pretty slim.
But who do you call when your dog or cat is lost? Right now, you can call The Missing Pet Partnership, a national, non-profit organization that uses people and their trained dogs to search for lost pets. I, for one, rest a little easier, knowing that they are out there. I’ve blogged about this amazing group before, but I am compelled to do it again because they are in need of our help. There is a very real possibility of calling for their help in the future and having that call go answered.
Although they are a volunteer-based, non-profit organization, they charge $250 to do a search and rescue. (What would you pay, if your dog were lost out there somewhere in this cruel world?) But right now, calls for help have been rapidly increasing, while donations and volunteers have not.
But trying to maintain and grow a nationwide group of pet detectives takes time and money. Since the recession hit in 2008, donations to all non-profits have dropped drastically and the MPP is feeling the pinch. In fact, the organization is at risk of closing their doors on July 1st, if immediate donations of at least $6,000.00 are not received.
I know we are all struggling to pay the bills right now, but what would be worse than losing a beloved pet in these stressful times and not being able to have anyone help you search for them? Think of any donation that you are able to give as insurance against a future lost pet. If every pet owner gave up just the price of a cup of coffee, those donations would go a long way. Click the PayPal link at the top of their website. (Go ahead, skip that coffee today and send them what you can.)
Their second biggest need is more neo markers, so that they can tag vehicles with lost dog information. Donors can order 4 markers at a time and have them shipped to MPP – the instructions and link about where to order them are at the top of their Wish List Page. Four markers cost approximately $27.96 plus shipping and taxes.
Or, if you are able to do more, you can donate a Snappy Snare, which costs $79.95 and can be ordered here from ACES (Animal Care Equipment and Services.)
If you would like to help, remember that although based here in Seattle, MPP is a NATIONWIDE, non-profit organization. Check here, for a listing of a group in your area, and VOLUNTEER! And if you do nothing else, please forward this blog post to every dog owner you know and help spread the word. I know that pet owners have the biggest hearts, so let’s keep this organization alive – not just for the sake of your pet, but for all the pets who may find themselves lost and in danger of never being found.
*Tiny Growl normally donates $1 to animal welfare for every ScooPup Pocket (the best pooper scooper and dog waste carry bag) that we sell, but if you visit our website and add “I support MMP” in the special instructions area of our shopping cart, we will donate THREE dollars directly to The Missing Pet Partnership.
[…] also encourage everyone to support The Missing Pet Partnership, an organization that I have blogged about a couple of times before. They do amazing work, have a wonderful website with specific and effective information on how to […]