You rescue a pet, only to find they’ve rescued you right back. What happens next? You pay it forward!

That’s what Maddie’s Fund^® co-founders Dave and Cheryl Duffield did when they sought to honor their Miniature Schnauzer, Maddie, who always made them laugh and comforted them during stressful business times as Dave was launching a startup software company. Maddie was with Dave and Cheryl from 1987-1997 and continues to inspire them today.

Since then, they have awarded more than $172 million in grants toward increased community lifesaving, shelter medicine education and pet adoptions across the country, all because of the love of that one little dog.

That’s great, you say. And if you ever win the lottery or make it big in business, that’s just what you’ll do. How can you pay it forward right now? Easy!

• Share your story: People are seven times more likely to choose adoption the next time they acquire a pet if they heard about it from someone they know. Be that someone! (As if you needed another reason to share your story!)
• Educate yourself, then help educate others: Did you know that right now 29 million people plan to acquire a pet within the next year? That means we only need to convince a small fraction more than are currently doing so to choose adoption, and we’ll save the 2.4 million dogs and cats who lose their lives in shelters each year. Surprised? It actually sounds doable, right? People can get caught up in the idea there are “too many pets, not enough homes,” and feel like they’re fighting a losing battle. Understand this is not the case and that we’re actually almost at the finish line!
• Look beyond the “cutes and cuddlies”: Everyone loves an adorable puppy, which often leaves the adults and seniors overlooked. They, along with those with treatable medical issues, make up a large portion of those 2.4 million we mentioned above. Getting people to think beyond the puppy and see the benefit to a loving senior dog is necessary to getting to a no-kill nation. Know a heartwarming story about a senior adoption, or perhaps a three-legged cat? Share it! You’re doing more good than you think.
• Social media: The sharing theme you’ve notice plays a huge role here. Social media has done wonders for helping pets find homes. “Like” or follow your favorite local shelter and rescue organizations on social, and be sure to engage with their posts. Sharing is the best, but even a like or comment will help, as it will help more people be shown the post and, thus, increase the chance of someone falling in love with the pet!
• Foster a pet: Fostering (and promoting fostering) is another key driver in getting us to no-kill. Not only does fostering free up space in brick and mortar shelters, it allows us to see pets in a home environment, where their true personality is more likely to shine through. If you foster, again, be sure to tell people about it.
• Volunteer: This can mean a variety of different tasks nowadays, depending on the organization you’re referring to. From more traditional roles, like shelter work and working adoption events, to more creative roles, like pet bio-writing, or pet photography, think of what skills you have and how you might help your local organization.
• Donate: Many organizations rely on donations from the public. Whatever you can contribute, the old saying “every little bit helps” rings true here. Whether it’s a monetary donation, or food and supplies, rest assured it will make a difference.

Have a pet who rescued you and inspired you to pay it forward? Tell us on our Facebook page!

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