It was the third Saturday of September, and the Indian summer had officially arrived in San Francisco. The thermometer read 85oF when local dog rescues arrived at CitiPets Playground, a family-owned pet supply store, to set up for an adoption fair. They hoped to find forever homes for their loving rescued dogs who were getting a second chance at life.
We IXLers gathered around Copper’s Dream Rescue, a San Francisco Bay Area all-breed rescue saving dogs from shelters throughout California. Copper’s Dream was founded with the goal to help end the euthanasia of adoptable dogs in the U.S. The rescue works to increase public awareness, take legal action benefiting shelter animals, rescue dogs scheduled for euthanasia, and place them in permanent and loving homes.
After the canopy had been set up, the Copper’s Dream Rescue sign had been hung, and the puppy pads had been laid down, it was the moment we had all been waiting for—puppies! Among us 15 volunteers, we shared the responsibility for 10 dogs under the age of one. We learned their names, ages, and other information to share with families looking for a new best friend.
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Throughout the day, a gathering of dog-lovers stopped by Copper’s Dream to meet and play with the dogs, hold them, receive big puppy kisses, ask us questions, and—we hoped—bring one home. By adopting just one dog from a rescue, one more space becomes available in a foster home for a shelter dog, and one more shelter space opens up for a homeless dog. Because of adoption events such as this one, Copper’s Dream has saved over 3,000 dogs. We all came away with the understanding that dogs don’t get to pick their owners or decide where they’ll end up, but people can help save their lives by adopting instead of shopping!
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To learn about volunteer opportunities with Copper’s Dream Rescue or to find a furry friend to adopt, please visit www.coppersdream.org.
By Tatum Radcliffe, Operations Coordinator
