Shelters save lives of domestic violence victims and their pets with help of Humane Fund Grant
Among the scope of the AKC Humane Fund's reach is the support of shelters for abused women with pets. This grant category in particular has received increased attention due to the specificity and unique need of its recipients. "Lollipop Farm," the Humane Society of Greater Rochester, and The Shade Tree Shelter's "Noah's Animal House," are two recipients that have recently shared input on the impact the grants have made in helping their communities.
Cathie Wright of Lollipop Farm, which accepts animals on behalf of owners who are no longer able to care for them, stated that, "AKC grant funds were used to help offset the cost of food and shelter provided for thirty six pets in 2012 whose owners were suffering from domestic abuse." Wright continued by saying, "In turn, these efforts ultimately saved lives, reassuring abuse victims that the one thing in their life providing comfort and unconditional love-their pet-will not be lost to them."
Similarly, Noah's Animal House was created for the shelter of pets belonging to the clients of The Shade Tree's women's shelter. Alicia Richter of the Las Vegas-based organization shared that the Humane Fund grant provided "aid in sustaining long-term impact in the local community by helping abused women and children with pets leave violent and abusive living situations because they can now take their beloved pet with them when they come to The Shade Tree." Executive director Marlene Richter imparted further upon their mission by stating, "The clients are provided with the necessities of life and the tools to help them repair their lives and to start on the path to self-reliance."
The AKC Humane Fund looks forward to sharing continued updates from its grant recipients, and invites all other organizations who qualify for and are in financial need of assistance to apply via our Grant page.
The 2013 ACE Nominations are now open!
To celebrate the life-changing and important ways that dogs impact our lives, the AKC Humane Fundsm is once again seeking nominations for its AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE). ACE nominations are open to all dogs, including purebreds and mixed-breeds. The submission deadline is June 1, 2013.
Each of the five honorees will receive an engraved sterling silver medallion and an all-expenses-paid trip for dog and owner to Orlando, Fla., to be honored at the thirteenth annual AKC/Eukanuba National Championship in December 2013. A donation of $1,000 will also be made in each recipient’s name to a pet-related charity.
The Barkfest at Bonhams Charity Brunch
It was a celebration of canines and creativity at the annual AKC Barkfest at Bonhams on Sunday, February 10, 2013. Guests previewed artwork from Dogs in Show and Field: The Fine Art Sale, some accompanied with their own four-legged companions. All proceeds benefited the AKC Humane Fund, Inc. a 501(c)(3) charity that promotes responsible dog ownership through education, outreach and grant-making.
View Photos from the 2013 Barkfest at Bonhams Charity Brunch.
Theater Benefit a Resounding Success
Not even blustery Nemo could stop the show from going on as guests came out to enjoy and support the annual theater benefit for the AKC Humane Fund on Friday, February 8, 2013. The evening began with the Broadway performance of Nice Work If You Can Get It, followed with a star-studded after-show dinner at The 21 Club. Thanks to the generosity of PetPartners, Inc., 100% of ticket sales directly benefited the AKC Humane Fund. Special thanks to everyone who attended, further supporting the joy and mission of responsible pet ownership through education, outreach and grant-making.
The Sandy Fund
After the recent devastation in the northeast caused by Hurricane Sandy, the AKC Humane Fund has created the "Sandy Fund" to assist organizations that provide support and services for dogs and owners faced with the challenges of natural disaster.
"The AKC Humane Fund is greatly saddened by the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy," said Dennis Sprung, Chairman and President of the AKC Humane Fund, Inc. "The creation of the Sandy Fund will help us do everything we can to assist companion animals and their owners in the region during this trying time and in any future disasters."
The "Sandy Fund" will allow AKC clubs and affiliated organizations to provide assistance for pets and their owners in their own communities during a time of disaster. The new Fund’s first donation was made to the Staten Island Companion Dog Training Club to aid their relief efforts in Staten Island, New York. Clubs interested in applying for a grant to assist local disaster relief outreach should complete the application here: Sandy Fund Grant Application.
Anyone interested in donating to the Sandy Fund please donate here and mark your donation as for the Sandy Fund.
Below are some past AKC Humane Fund events. We thank all our members for *****************your support at these events and all year round. *****************
The Michael J. Sauve Memorial Benefit
The 2nd Annual Michael J. Sauve Memorial Benefit was held on Thursday, December 13th, 2012 in Orlando, Florida. The event was filled with food, entertainment, raffles, auctions, and prizes. A fabulous night enjoyed by all!
The Barkfest at Bonhams Charity Brunch
View photos from the 2012 Barkfest at Bonhams Charity Brunch!
Hundreds of dog lovers and art aficionados enjoyed a wonderful morning at the AKC Barkfest at Bonhams on Sunday, February 12. The event supported the AKC Humane Fund, Inc. a 501(c)(3) charity that promotes responsible dog ownership through education and grantmaking.
2011 AKC Humane Fund Benefit
On February 11, 2011, guests of the annual Humane Fund Theater Benefit enjoyed an action-packed performance of Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark, followed by an after-show party at the 21 Club. Much appreciation goes towards the support of everyone who came out for a fantastic night!
Special thanks to Pet Partners, Inc., Your Partner in Pet Health Care, which enabled 100% of proceeds to go towards the AKC Humane Fund.
Katie Up and Down the Hall Book Launch Party Benefits AKC Humane Fund
The AKC Humane Fund and AKC Canine Health Foundation Provided Support towards the Mean Seeds Project
The AKC Humane Fund, Inc. and its members were proud to join the AKC Canine Health Foundation in jointly providing financial support towards the Mean Seeds Project conducted by Professor Bill Lauenroth from the University of Wyoming. This project examined the problem of grass awn disease in dogs and the use of barbed awns in conservation program reserve lands. Whether participating in field events or simply enjoying the great outdoors with one’s dog, everyone should learn about the dangers of grass awns to dogs.
Dogs, Dickens and Delectables at the Barkfest at Bonhmans
The 2010 Barkfest at Bonhams Charity Brunch was a smashing success! Click here to view photos!
Any dog lover, fine art enthusiast, or classic literature buff got a real thrill at this year’s Barkfest at Bonhams. Coinciding with the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show February 14th from 10am to 12pm, the annual Barkfest at Bonhams Charity Brunch for the AKC Humane Fund featured a dog collar belonging to Victorian literary great, Charles Dickens. Or belonging to one of his beloved canine companions, that is! The collar was likely worn by one of Dickens’s Newfoundlands, Mastiffs, or St. Bernards.
Dogs figured prominently in several of Dickens’s novels. There was Bull’s-eye, the vicious but ever-loyal sidekick of the brutal Bill Sykes in Oliver Twist. Dora Splendow, David Copperfield’s child bride, was inseparable from her dog, Jip. Dickens’s own dogs may be less well-known, but it makes sense that the man who created such memorable canine characters in his fiction would have surrounded himself with dogs in life, and in turn, surrounded his dogs with genuine affection.
He sometimes described his dogs – their personalities and antics – in humorous detail in his correspondences. In a letter to the wife of his publisher, upon returning home from an overseas trip in 1868, Dickens wrote:
"The two Newfoundland dogs, coming to meet me with the usual carriage and the usual driver, and beholding me coming in my usual dress out at the usual door, it struck me that their recollection of my having been absent for any unusual time was at once cancelled. They behaved (they are both young dogs) exactly in their usual manner; coming behind the basket phaeton as we trotted along, and lifting up their heads to have their ears pulled – a special attention which they receive from no one else. But when I drove into the stable-yard, Linda [Saint Bernard] was greatly excited; weeping profusely and throwing herself on her back that she might caress my foot with her great fore-paws. Mamie’s little dog, too, Mrs. Bouncer [Pomeranian], barked in the greatest agitation on being called down and asked ‘Who is this?’ and tore round and round me..."In addition to the Dickens dog collar, Barkfest at Bonhams previewed over two hundred works of canine art and memorabilia from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Well-known canine artists included Maud Earl, Arthur Wardle, William Trood, and many others. Last year, John Emms’s New Forest Foxhounds was sold at a record price at Bonhams Dog Sale, held the following Tuesday after the Barkfest. This year, his Bitchpack of the Meath Foxhounds broke that record yet again.
Canine companions were welcome to join the Barkfest at Bonhams Charity Brunch, with all proceeds benefiting the AKC Humane Fund, which celebrates the human-canine bond and promotes responsible pet ownership through education, outreach, and grant-making.
AKC Humane Fund Grant Helped Silky Rescue at a Critical Time
The mission of the AKC Humane Fund is to promote responsible dog ownership, and celebrate the bond between people and pets. The Silky Terrier Rescue Charitable Trust, or "Silky Rescue" for short, was the first breed rescue organization that the AKC Humane Fund proudly supported through its new grant program.
Silky Rescue began over 20 years ago and covers the entire contiguous United States. The group usually rescues about 60 dogs each year. Most of the west coast silkys rescued come from shelters while most of their east coast rescues are owner turn-ins.
The organization places the rescued dogs in foster homes and completes any veterinary care needed including vaccines, dental procedures, spays/neuters and other necessary surgeries. Once the dogs are stable, both physically and emotionally, they are adopted into new, loving homes.
In July of 2008, Silky Rescue took in 20 puppy mill dogs at once. They were vaccinated, micro-chipped, spayed/neutered and dentaled. Happily, most of them have been successfully re-homed and adopted. There were some heart-breaking cases, however. According to Sally Stevens of Silky Rescue, "Two were so emotionally traumatized that we are still working with them – over 18 months later. Trust is a huge issue for them."
The AKC Humane Fund grant came at a critical moment for Silky Rescue. Much of the organization’s financial reserves had been spent on the puppy mill dogs, but there were several additional expensive rescues this year. Two puppies with Legg-Perthes (a degenerative hip disorder in small breeds) required surgery in the thousands of dollars. Another silky who had suffered for two years with a dislocated hip also needed surgery. Rescuing a dog with severe heartworm disorder involved costly treatments.
"Our funds were really low," Stevens recalled. "You want to do whatever it takes, but with a small group and the present economy, we were really afraid we'd have to deny something necessary to a dog and just couldn't see doing that. We are ever so grateful to The Humane Fund for helping us over this rough patch."
Raymond Felt Page and Duke by Alban Jasper Conant Donated to the AKC Humane Fund
Donated in 2009 to the AKC Humane Fund Collection by Elizabeth M. Sanfilippo, the painting entitled Raymond Felt Page and Duke (c. 1887) by Alban Jasper Conant is truly a treasure. The portrait depicts a five or six year old Raymond Felt Page along with his dog Duke. Raymond was the youngest son of George Shepherd Page (1840-1892), a pioneer in the development of Coal Tar Products in America, who bred the first AKC registered Scottish Deerhound, Bonnie Robin, in 1886. Page’s interest in Scottish Deerhounds probably stemmed from a gift of two Scottish Deerhounds that he received from the Duke of Sutherland. Elizabeth M. Sanfilippo, who generously donated the painting to the AKC Humane Fund, is the great granddaughter of George Shepherd Page.
The artist of the painting, Alban Jasper Conant (American 1821-1951), became famous for painting the Smiling Lincoln, the one and only portrait of Lincoln smiling, as well as dignitaries including Attorney-General Edward Bates and Secretary of War Edwin McMasters Stanton. One of his best known paintings, The First Gun at Fort Sumter (Major Robert Anderson), hangs in the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Raymond Felt Page and Duke exhibits Conant’s dedication to detail and his ability to capture the essence of his subject.
This gorgeous canvas can be seen in person by visiting the headquarters of the American Club at 260 Madison Avenue in New York City. To schedule a tour of the artwork contact AKC at (212) 696-8200.