How to hold a Dog Party (for a good cause)
Would you like to help homeless pets? Giving money and time to local animal shelters and rescue groups is one way to help change the lives of homeless animals, but there’s another way to draw attention to the nationwide problem of rescue pets.
Hosting a party in your home to help homeless pets is a great way to go about creating awareness and raising money. It will also give you contact with people who may be interested in supporting you in the cause of helping pets who are abandoned or neglected by their owners. Here’s our tips as how to have a party to help rescue pets!
Consider having your party to help homeless pets – outdoors.
If you’ll be holding your party in the summer and you have a large fenced in backyard, consider having your party outside and encourage people to bring their dogs. Or hold it at a local park. If not, you can hold it at home and instead of encouraging people to bring their pets, you can send each guest home with a small bag of dog or cat treats.
Consider when you will have it.
Ensure the weather will be a good temperature – not too hot, cold, or rainy. You may also wish to hold it around the time of your Pet’s Birthday! Head here for your Pet’s Very own Pet Birthday Fundraiser Page!
Decorate your chosen party area with a rainbow or pet theme.
Some party stores carry supplies designed for dog birthday parties. If so, this is a good place to pick up items to use as party décor. Look for paper plates and cups that have photos of dogs or cats on them and napkins with paw prints. Another idea is to display dog and cat themed balloons and stuffed animals with a dog and cat motif. Please – do not use decorations that can be easily torn off or swallowed, and please remain vigilant for loose decorations throughout the party.
Share invitations in your local facebook community group or dog breed group to your party to help rescue pets.
Invite your pet loving friends to your party. In the invitation post, ensure you specify the location, date, and time, and encourage each guest to bring an item to donate to a local animal shelter such as a bag of pet food, pet blankets and comforters, cat litter, pet treats, and any other useful item your local pet rescue group or shelter might need. An alternative would be for a guest to make a monetary donation. If you have the connections, invite some local people in your community who volunteer at animal shelters or who actively work to help homeless pets. They can discuss with your guests some of the ways they can help with the cause. Many rescue organisations also display a wish list of what they need on their website.
Host your party to help homeless pets.
At the party, serve inexpensive non-alcoholic refreshments (eg cold cans of diet coke for $3 in an esky with ice – this will cover drink carton cost if bought in bulk from your supermarket and help in donating to the rescue) and encourage people to congregate and mingle.
Usually there are dog drinking fountains, and you may wish to put a few more buckets or water around.
Not quite what we had in mind when we said ‘buckets of water’, but hey dogs will be dogs…
You could also sell small bags of healthy home-baked dog treats at $10 each – ensure it covers costs and leaves an amount to donate to the chosen rescue). Do avoid feeding multiple dogs at the party with treats as this may encourage food aggression and fights may break out. Please also ensure only dog-eatable (non-toxic for dogs) ingredients are used. Please also bring a list of ingredients used to share with other Pet Parents at the chosen venue to reassure them there is not toxic in there. Considering nobody really has physical cash these days – please ask them on the spot to donate via the link to the birthday fundraiser page. This way they will get a receipt, and their money will reach the RSPCA directly.
Have someone give a brief talk on the opportunities available to help rescue pets in your area. This will help to get more people involved. You may also want to encourage other guests to follow your lead and host their own party to help rescue pets. This will provide another opportunity to get donations and spread the word. Be sure to thank everyone for their contributions.
After your party to help homeless pets is over, arrange to take the donated items to one of your local animal shelters that afternoon or the next day and take an action photo of you giving the items or money to the shelter. This will build trust with your group, and the look of appreciation on the rescue organisation’s staff faces will make it all worthwhile!
Other Fundraising Activities you can try:
Get your Fundraiser pack ahead of Million Paws Walk
Fight animal cruelty while taking your dog for a stroll aong the Brisbane River at South Bank. The annual Million Paws Walk helps raise money for helpless, neglected, abused and homeless animals to give them a second chance at finding a new home. Proceeds go to providing essential care and shelter for more than 15,000 dogs each year. Plus, there are plenty of stalls, activities and competitions!
Head to RSPCA’s Big Adopt Out
BYO Dog or adopt one. Royal Exibition (EKKA) Showgrounds – This is the most adorable free event in all of Australia! Bringing together over 20 rescue groups, 8,000 people and finding homes for over 300 animals. Normally on around mid September every year.
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