ChipIn is connected to PayPal and that’s how payments are processed.They track the progress of donations and let the organizer know once donations hit the target amount. Donors can leave messages for the organizer and the progress for the drive can be followed in the cause’s home page. It seems to be the way to go for many in the animal rescue community and hundreds of ChipIn pleas have been launched for different dogs all across the country.

I myself have received numerous ChipIn requests through FACEBOOK widgets and status updates. At times it can be overwhelming. Just like how I wish I owned acres of land to house all the dogs I want to save from euthanization… when I see pleas for deaf dogs, senior dogs dumped at the shelter especially, I wanna give each time…but of course, I cannot.

One case though caught my eye and wallet. It was for two puppies housed in the Orange County Animal Care Services.

Here is the original ChipIn request from Candi Crawford requesting assistance with pulling, fostering + vet costs for two very cute pit bull puppies with very bad cases of Demodex mange. These were the pictures posted on Facebook.

Such sad faces!!! When I looked up mange, I of course found out that it was a very painful skin condition that needed extensive and costly treatment. This sealed the deal for me. Also, Theresa Meyers Fraser, DDR Alum,Chowder’s mom was involved so I knew this wasn’t a scam. I donated money. Not a huge amount but I knew I wanted to be part of the rescue efforts for these two pups in pain. Candi’s […]

Interview by Irene Soriano Brightman, PITStop Editor

Downtown Dog Rescue is very pleased to feature an interview with Laura Menck, the founder of Animal Care for Artists Initiative (ACAI) based here in Southern California. Who does ACAI serve and what service do they provide? The mission statement says it all – “To assist low income individuals, employed in the arts, in covering the cost of medical care for their animal companions.”

It is a much needed service for a segment of an oftentimes overlooked workforce. One can be a “struggling artist” and understand what “financial challenges” can mean and one can be a “working artist” and still belong to a sector that doesn’t bring in a high earning punch and keep one “financially challenged.”

Many in the animation industry have recently felt the crunch with departments getting downsized plus massive layoffs have occurred in various creative fields. When worrying about rent and food, vet bills become an added burden to an already alarming financial situation. For many artists, pets provide comfort, companionship and oftentimes inspiration that help grow their artistic inclinations and projects (Moby is an example and poet, Mary Oliver! While they might not need ACAI’s services, I wonder if they would help fund it!). When our companions get ill and we’re financially strapped (I’ve been there!), the service that ACAI provides becomes invaluable.

ACAI’s mascot, Dolly – Laura’s American Bulldog

Tell us about yourself, your interest in the arts, artists, animals, LA?

Fortunately, I grew up in a family that loves the arts and animals and, thus, I became an animal welfare advocate and volunteer. I moved to L.A. three years ago to marry a local musician and community involvement is very important so I became involved right away volunteering with various rescues and the LAAS spay/neuter committee. I work at UCLA Healthcare with patients who have asthma and emphysema so I want to make sure that my time outside of work is spent helping animals. I am also a year away from completing my graduate degree in public policy and nonprofit management so I hope to bring a lifetime of service to our Los Angeles community through that.

What was the catalyst that […]

When the pups where delivered for transport to Kanab, Utah’s Best Friends Sanctuary by Josie Gavieres through a Las Vegas drop-off, Groucho came along…wondering who the heck were all these yappers in his van!

Now, here are Rainy’s 9 yappers happy and playing in Best Friends!!!!! So adorable!!!! The last few seconds of the video are priceless…who can’t fall in love with these sweeties!!!

In the beginning, there was my husband and I and our three dogs. Then, last summer, we had a baby. Pregnancy and having a baby bring out funny things in the people around us: funny behavior, funny comments. Before our son arrived, I was asked numerous times what we were going to do with our dogs. We have three extra-large dogs: a male shepherd and two female English mastiffs, whose combined weight is 400 lbs.

To date, I have rescued two dogs, bought two, and fostered/rescued approximately twenty more that are now in adoptive homes. I’m a little good and a little bad. Though I wouldn’t change a thing, I’ve spent several years trying to make up for what I consider to be the bad. My plans last summer revolved around getting ready to bring home baby. These plans included the introduction of baby to our dogs and how to do so safely. I ended up having unrelated surgery the day after giving birth, so by the time baby and I came home from the hospital, all planning went out the window.

There was no bringing home a soiled diaper or blanket that baby had been sleeping in for the dogs to smell, no introduction to baby after I had already walked in the door first. In my physically beaten state, the introduction became, “Dogs, meet baby. Baby, meet dogs. Got it? Good.” Somehow, everyone fell in line. I do not want to convey that combining animals and kids would be this easy for everyone. Chances are that it can be difficult, but it should be known that it’s not impossible.

One reason, I believe, people are loath to do so, is fear. During my son’s first few months, I often found that while I would let the dogs near him, I would also, before too long, interrupt and shoo them away. I started to wonder why I was doing this and realized I was afraid. Since there had never been any signs of aggression, one day I decided not to get involved. I was still physically right there, but when my shepherd came up to my son, I simply let it be.

That dog licked the baby from head to toe, and it probably went on for nearly a minute. […]