PawPatrol Dayton needs items for cats and dogs
Paw Patrol Dayton, the all-volunteer, nonprofit organization that aims to help better the lives of pets in our community, has been around since 2012 and continues to grow each year. The organization started as a means to help rescue outdoor dogs in trouble, then morphed into a full-blown, foster-based rescue..
The newest mission for the organization this past year is helping kittens and young adult cats.
Executive director Brandi Knox says the last time we ran a “Make a Difference” column for her organization, concerned readers contacted her for months afterward, eager to make donations and volunteer.
“Everyone in our group loves animals and does their best to help pets in need,” she explains. “We understand there are so many more animals than there are suitable homes for them, and we want to do anything and everything we can to help as many as we can know they are loved, safe, and in their ‘furever’ home.”
She says all animals
need the basics: food, fresh water, shelter and the ability to exercise.
She says it’s especially difficult for pets that are trying their best to survive outside, are living in a home where they aren’t treated well, or are in a shelter. “Our goal is to better the lives of pets by rescuing and re-homing as many as we can reasonably take into our foster program,” Knox says. “In addition, we help owned animals in the community by providing outdoor houses, heated water bowls, and food, along with heavily subsidizing the cost of spaying and neutering to try to help end the overpopulation problem
plaguing our community.”
“When we encounter dogs living outdoors, we do our best to get to the root of why the dog is there — often it’s just lack of education, so we work with the owners to try to change their mindset,” Knox adds. “We talk to the owners about why the dog is outdoors and we try to provide alternatives to that lifestyle. We’re willing to provide crates to help them integrate their dogs inside the home, for example.”
How it works
Anyone in the community may send Paw Patrol Dayton a referral of a dog or kitten in need, including
the owners themselves, via phone call, Facebook message, email, or the contact form on their website. All information is kept confidential.
Once an animal in need is identified, Paw Patrol volunteers try to establish a relationship with the owner. If the owner responds in a positive way, the group then sets to work doing what they can to better that animal’s life.
The owner must sign a contract with Paw Patrol before any goods or services are provided. In the case of an owner surrendering their animal to the group, the owner must sign a surrender form, giving Paw Patrol legal ownership of the pet.
Paw Patrol receives no government funding and relies solely on donations and adoption fees to operate. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the group has struggled to maintain an adequate level of donations to continue their lifesaving work.
Here’s what they need
Items donated can be gently used, but must be clean and flea-free.
■ Dog crates
■ Durable toys, such as Kongs
■ Baby gates
■ Food and treats (no rawhide, no food in open packaging or old kibble)
■ Collars and harnesses ■ Elizabethan collars (plastic collars used while the dog heals from surgery)
■ Leashes (5- to 6-foot length, no retractables)
■ Capstar (Flea treatment)
Seresto collars (Flea collar)
Doggie diapers and belly bands
Beds
Kitty toys
Litter and litter boxes Drop off dog supplies at one of the barrels in these locations:
8505 N. Main St. Dayton, OH 45415 Poochie Bath
2308 E. Dorothy Lane Kettering, OH 45420 Clayton Animal Hospital
6313 Brookville-Salem Road
Clayton, OH 45415 Englewood Animal Hospital
589 S. Main St. Englewood, OH 45322
Other ways to help
“The biggest expense faced by the group is vet costs,” says Knox, who says the average cost is $200-$250 to spay or neuter one healthy dog, along with getting that dog vaccinated, microchipped, heartworm tested and dewormed. “We often take animals with advanced medical issues or special needs, sending that cost skyrocketing,” she adds.
Donations can be made through the website or by calling (937) 350-1729.
Also, Paw Patrol is always looking for new volunteers or fosters to help better the lives of pets in our community. Additional information can be found on Facebook or the website at www. pawpatroldayton.com.