Best Friends was delighted to receive an invitation to the 2010 Combined Federal Campaign’s kick-off event at the E.J. Nutter Center on the Wright State Campus in Dayton, Ohio. For the third consecutive year, members of the 100% volunteer pet therapy group joined several other 501c3 non profit groups to meet and greet the federal employees who support our efforts with their payroll donations. These caring and dedicated men and women represent an integral part of our organization and we are pleased to take this opportunity to celebrate their participation.

Best Friends had all of the ingredients necessary to make our fourth annual garage sale the best ever. Start with lots of generous Friends donating excellent items for resale; add therapy teams turning out in large numbers to support the sale as volunteers and customers; combine with new and loyal customers anxious to find great bargains and support pet assisted therapy (some people drove from out of town to support their favorite pet therapy team). Sprinkle on perfect garage sale weather—warm and sunny with low humidity.

When it was time to close the books on our 2010 sale, we decided to continue helping others so we donated remaining items to the Humane Society of Clark County (their garage sale was the following week), Clark County Habitat for Humanity, Coats for Love, and a number of area resale stores including Goodwill and St. Vincent’s locations. It feels great to receive support from the community and even better to offer support to other community helpers.

Special thanks to volunteers, donors and customers for helping us raise $1051.86 to continue training, testing and registering pet therapy teams to volunteer their services throughout the community!

Woofstock 2010 was bigger and better than ever for the Red Cross and for the people and pets of Best Friends. Many of the teams dropped by our booth to say “hi” and help distribute brochures and Summer Fun flyers to event attendees. It felt great to look out into the crowd and see so many prancing pups and their proud parents sporting our red or blue therapy dog vests or Best Friends’ polo shirts. Thanks for joining us to be part of the fun! Special puppy hugs to the Red Cross team who hosted the event and made all of us feel so welcome. Looking forward to seeing you next year!

The temperatures were on the rise but so was the fun at the second annual Bow Wow Wash fund-raiser. The therapy teams of Best Friends welcomed area pet parents bringing the furry members of their family to Meadow View Growers from 10 am – 3 pm for a tub bath. The fur was flying through the air but so was the laughter. What a great day!

Special thanks to Dave Catrow who shared his time and incredible talent to sketch many of the dogs in attendance capturing their wonderful loving faces perfectly. Dave sees and sketches our furry friends (see photo upper left of "Ruby") in a way that no one else can—you’re the best, Dave.

Thanks again to Earl, Ellen, and all of the Meadow View staff for rolling out the green carpet to welcome us for a second year. We’re looking forward to returning to “The Meadow” this autumn for Bow Wow Ween. Hope to see everyone there

Check out some of the great holloween costumes!

Meadowview Growers in New Carlisle, Ohio, was the scene of some good clean fun for a group of area dogs and the volunteers of Best Friends Pet Assisted Therapy. On July 18, the nursery hosted our group’s first “Bow Wow Wash” event. While the day got off to a chilly start, things warmed up quickly as pets and their ‘best friends’ began arriving at Meadowview for a “shampoo, rinse, and brush-out” against an incredibly beautiful floral background. Inside Meadowview’s main building, noted cartoonist and animal lover, David Catrow, donated his time and amazing talent, sketching many of the loveable pooches in attendance. All proceeds from both activities went to Best Friends to help us continue training, testing and registering pet therapy teams to work throughout the community. Special thanks to Earl Robinson of Meadowview, to David Catrow and to the many volunteers and pet parents who helped us ‘clean up’ at our first Bow Wow Wash.

Cristen Carlson from the Springfield Animal Hospital and her daughter, Avery, joined the family pet and Best Friends therapy dog, Blanche, at Lagonda School to take part in a special presentation for student, Brian Singleton. Brian sustained injuries protecting his brother, Hayden Bradley, from a pair of large dogs who confronted the boys on their way to school. Cristen and Blanche have been working with the schools through the Safety City program that includes information about staying safe around unfamiliar dogs. Best Friends salutes Brian for his incredible courage and wishes him a speedy recovery.

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