Make My (Dog’s) Day!

Using Celebrity Status to Advocate Homes For Pets…
Alison Eastwood (daughter of Clint Eastwood), an actress film director and huge animal advocate is set on rescuing pets from high-kill shelters in Southern California. Founding the nonprofit Eastwood Ranch Foundation in 2012 — they advocate for animals that would otherwise be euthanized in overcrowded facilities and help find them permanent homes.

From kitten to cat, this nonprofit wants to expand its reach…
This year, Eastwood launched the website Foster Fur Kids to connect shelters and rescue organizations with pet fosters and transporters NATIONALLY. The website sets up volunteers to transport animals, rescue groups can sign up to donate supplies, and any open foster parent can create a profile to match up with a temporary pet — and in some cases volunteers can even get paid to help!

And this summer Eastwood held her 3rd Annual Art for Animals fundraiser to collect funds to build a future adoption center in LA. “We are currently looking for our own place to have an adoption center and rescue facility. We’ve been relying on boarding and fosters, but we want to have our own spot to call home.”

…And address community needs.
Eastwood chose to start in her own community where shelters were overflowing and one of the most trendy pets in L.A.— chihuahuas. She told WagBrag that many pet owners in Southern California want chihuahuas but eventually lose interest and abandon them. That’s why earlier this year, she focused on locating and transporting over 100 chihuahuas to homes in the north. Meet Audrey, Hank and Waylon, three little chihuahua sheBOOMers featured in this article, up for adoption.

Bottom line: Many pet businesses start with a philanthropic bent — to help those that can’t speak for themselves.