A Troy University student has created a nonprofit organization that takes dogs from death row and places them in foster families.
This organization, called “Dang Dawgs Rescue,” was started by Katie Ichikawa, a junior biomedical sciences major from Santa Cruz, Calif.
She started this organization by herself just under a year ago.
Ichikawa said that she started taking dogs from the pound and finding them homes once she got her own place, and after a month or two of that she decided to create an actual rescue organization.
“My idea was to create an organization consisting of multiple foster families that took dogs in from kill shelters and found them homes,” she said.
This way, she said, even if the dogs are not in danger of euthanasia, they do not have to sit in kennels all alone.
Ichikawa said that among the responsibilities she has include organizing fundraisers, getting the dogs from shelters, vet runs, finding homes for dogs and many more.
Ichikawa said that she has overcome many hurdles creating her rescue.
“Getting started was very difficult,” she said. “People didn’t take me seriously and even now I get scrutiny from people for not having a real shelter.”
She said one of the hardest things was the money situation. Becoming a nonprofit organization takes money; just the filing fee for a nonprofit license was $300, but beginning an actual business added on at least $50-$100.
However, Ichikawa said that Dang Dawgs will soon become an official nonprofit organization where donations will be tax deductible to the donator, they can have a paypal account and they can apply for grants.
Ichikawa said the best way to get involved with this organization is to become a foster mom or dad for a dog.
“If you can foster a dog, we can go to the shelter together to pick out the life you want to save,” she said.
“We take care of all the expenses, and you just keep the dog safe and happy until it can find a permanent home.”
She said that the number of dogs they can pull is limited to the number of foster families that can keep them.
She also said that it is very appreciated if you can donate as well. Things they are looking for include money, dog food, leashes, collars, toys, etc.
If donating is not an option, helping spread the word is half the battle of rescuing these animals.
You can like the rescue page at www.facebook.com/dangdawgsrescue for more information.
For questions, contact Ichikawa at 831-588-7648.
