Happy Holidays Hopalong Style!

Howdy fosters and volunteers!

This is it, the last weekly email before Christmas, which will hopefully be a relaxing time for you!

First, please note that the office will be closed December 22-29 (ie all of next week, Sunday-Sunday). Fosters, Sam and Erica will be checking in with you about what to do if you need them while the office is closed. Volunteers: if you have shifts at the office, we will NOT be here. If you have shifts elsewhere (PetCo or PetSmart), please call the pet store ahead of time to see if there are kittens at the store before heading over. We’ll be back on Monday, the 30^th and Tuesday the 31^st and closed again on the 1^st. Please let me know if you have any questions before I turn into a pumpkin (read: Friday!)

Second, we have had a pretty rad December. Santa Paws has been great. Lots of cool visitors and photos- impromptu kid pictures, some crazy shenanigans in Pinole, and just general merriment. Thank you to all the volunteers and in advance to those taking on the mayhem this Saturday and Sunday! Many animals have also been adopted this month, which is unusual for December- and WONDERFUL! Over 30 kittens have already been adopted this month, and it’s only the 18^th! Ramona (the dog) was adopted in Idaho, Peter decided his foster home was actually his forever home, and 3 chihuahua/pug mixes (chugs?!) found homes on Monday.

Mostly, thank you so much for being part of the Hopalong Team: have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year! It’s really a pleasure to work with all of you, and if the animals could talk, I know they would say the same thing.

Best,

Office Projects week of December 16th

Howdy Partners,

We've got a couple office projects that we could really use some help on this week. These are all weekday, office projects.

• Filing/moving project: our animal files overfloweth! We need to move them around in drawers and possibly to a different set of drawers. This needs some concentration but not a ton- it's not a super complicated job but needs to be done right this time. There *may be some lifting involved. 3-4 hours, can be done in a couple chunks.
• Shelving supplies: We got tons and tons of supplies from Pet Food Express and they are sitting on the floor. Parts requires some physical strength. 3-4 hours, anything you can do helps!
• Testing the electronics in the back: We've got lots of possibly-working electronic devices in the back room- printers, computer towers, scanners- I don't even know what! If you've got any tech skills and can evaluate these things, we'd love to know what we've got and what we can get rid of! 

Thanks, guys- any time next week would be WONDERFUL- just let me know when you're coming in!

It's Still Wednesday- Hopalong Style

Hi All,

Hope everyone is staying warm, including your pets! Admit it, you know you’re turning up the heat and pulling out the pet sweaters- we know we are!

Thank you everyone for your help at past and future Santa Paws events! These are great fun for everyone involved- the one on the 7^th was a great success- *five* dogs were adopted at Bay Street (thanks Jill for spearheading this!) and countless pets and kids (!) sat on Santa’s lap for a donation.

We’ve also had great success with cat adoptions this week- our buddy Rasputin went home and kittens are flying out of here. This is unusual and wonderful for December! This week we also participated in a rescue mission sending tons and tons of little dogs to Idaho- check out the video here.

Couple fundraising opportunities to share: we’ve got some very cool photo cards that are perfect for office fundraising/tree decorating. If your office is into donating, holler at us and we’ll share details. We’ve also got our Amazon wishlist for those who prefer giving to pets in need- personally, I think donating is an awesome way to give. Another cool thing to do is foster- dogs or cats don’t understand holidays, but we know they love warm beds!

Volunteer ops: I don’t have a lot of things to share right now- it’s always a little slow in December. We’ve got quite a few marketing research projects if you’re into that- they can be done at home- and we’re looking for a marketing intern for winter/spring semester, preferably a college student. If you know anyone who might be interested, info here. Share widely- this is a great opportunity for someone who wants to learn nonprofits and practice their skills!

Thanks, everyone- your contributions are greatly appreciated!!

Lauren

Marketing Internship!

Hopalong is looking for an intern for the winter semester- we'd love to get a student on board to help market our programs! Please share this listing far and wide!

Do you love animals? Have a knack for getting others to love what you love? Do you like to research? Share your skills with Hopalong Animal Rescue and learn what marketing looks like in the nonprofit world! Hopalong is an Oakland-based nonprofit looking to expand our reach and save more dogs and cats. With better messaging, we can reach more people about our work and add to our network of fosters, volunteers and adopters. Help us do that!

Hopalong Animal Rescue has a fast paced work environment and every day is different. We are looking for an intern who wants to use the skills s/he is learning in school in the real world while gaining experience in a nonprofit setting. As an intern, you will get to work directly with our Executive Director and put your hands on real projects that will help our organization grow.

Our ideal candidate is someone who is self-directed and creative, familiar with computers, comfortable talking to new people and not allergic to animals- our office is full of them!

Sample Tasks:

• Creation of and management of an outreach calendar
• Design and creation marketing materials such as posters and fliers
• Research projects
• Locating, contacting and building partnerships with other organizations
• Managing, archiving and organizing photos for marketing campaigns
• Assisting in video production

What We Require:

• Background or strong interest in Marketing, Communication, or other related discipline.
• Strong communication skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office.
• Organized, with an ability to prioritize time-sensitive assignments.
• Creative and Flexible.
• Familiarity with social networking, especially Facebook and Twitter.
• Interested in animal welfare issues
• Interest in nonprofit management and community development.

We value all of our interns and go the extra mile to make sure you receive a learning experience that fits your career goals. You will learn how to work in a professional nonprofit environment and have ample opportunity to network with department leaders. Students encouraged to apply.

Details:

The position begins in January and ends in May. You are expected to work 15 hours a week.

To Apply:

Send resume and cover letter to Lauren by December 20th.

Happy Wednesday

Hi Fosters and Volunteers,

Almost last call for the Volunteer and Foster Appreciation Party TOMORROW (Thursday, December 5^th) at the office at 5:30-7:30. RSVP here. All of the staff want to thank you in person for your contributions- big or small (they’re big to us!)- delicious food and drink will be provided, and if you must bring something for dessert. If you don’t RSVP, you’re invited anyway! Kids, partners in crime invited- two-legged only, please- we need to save the food for the humans!

Your hard work is really appreciated- animals are flying out of here (and in here!) almost faster than we can keep track of. I mean, I know that some people are keeping track, but I have lost count of kittens getting adopted, puppies coming in puppies going out, etc- it’s a wonderful feeling! And *you make that possible- thank you! (Who can resist adorable Chihuahua puppies- in clothes!)

Event-wise: The Santa Paws events that we’ve had so far this year have been wonderful- this is a great way for people to support Hopalong in the community- pictures with Santa? So fun! Thank you who have helped out and who have signed up to help out- this is a Merry Time for all! We have two upcoming mobiles this month, and thank you for signing up for those, too. If you haven’t received instructions, don’t worry- they’re coming! Humane education is chugging along- we’re starting a partnership next week with King Middle School in Berkeley and look forward to more schools!

Anyway, all of us here (Karen, Sam, Erica, Juliet, Trisha and I) are looking forward to seeing you tomorrow night and thanking you in person. If you can’t make it, we’ll toast you from afar! THANK YOU!!!

Happy Thanksgiving from Hopalong!

Hi Everyone,

Just a quick note to send you best Thanksgiving wishes from all of us at Hopalong. The animals (who can’t sign their names) really appreciate everything you do, whether it’s housing animals, driving them, handling them at events and adoption sites or the more hands off stuff like making entries for them on adoption websites, stuffing envelopes, entering medical records and more! If I wrote all of the things here that you do, I’d have to send 5 emails, and I’m pretty sure you don’t want to read 5 emails today- it’s almost Thanksgiving!

Anyway, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year, and this year I’ll be giving extra thanks for working with such a crew- you’re kind and generous, with animals and humans alike.

(non-cheesy note: the office will be closed until Monday. Fosters, please refer to your emergency packet.) (nudgey reminder note: RSVP for YOUR holiday party so we can thank you here- it’s a week from tomorrow- Thursday, December 5^th)

I hope you have a great holiday weekend!

Best,

Lauren (and Rollie, the blind brindle naughty dog who follows me around)

Wednesday is Hopalong Day!

Hi fosters and volunteers,

Hope you’re enjoying the rain and that your pets aren’t melting- I know many of them are made of sugar!

We had a great week- FIVE dogs were adopted at the last mobile adoption! Nineteen new volunteers joined us at the volunteer orientation this Saturday and many have already signed up to help out! Our “Home for the Holidays” promotion ($10 adoption donations for cats 6 months and over) has already led to two cat adoptions including Xander! Our humane education program kicked off this week (see picture) and we reached over 50 kids with a message of responsible pet ownership and safety around dogs. We’ve got two more classes this week and are looking forward to heading into more schools.

Coming up, we still have openings for Santa Paws, but they’re going fast! All of the openings are listed here. If you’re in Marin, we could really use help on December 1^st. (We’ve also got a great opportunity for cat lovers in Marin- let me know if you’d like more info- think KITTENS!) We’ve also added a mobile dog adoption to the awesome event at Bay Street in Emeryville on December 7^th, so if that’s your thing, let me know.

A little nudge for volunteers- if you aren’t tracking your hours, this is a great time to start doing so. Please let me know if you need a new password for our volunteer database. You can bookmark that link and you can also access it from the “volunteers” tab of www.hopalong.org. Right now we’ve got over 4,000 hours of service logged just since March! (I’ve been keeping track of the hours that I know you’re doing, but I know there’s even more!) Fosters, we keep track of your hours slightly differently, so need to log into the database for this purpose. These hours cumulatively are amazing for grants and really, it’s pretty awesome to know that you’ve contributed to 4,000 hours?? I’m very proud!

And of course, YOUR appreciation party is coming up on December 5^th. Go ahead and RSVP so we can say thank you in person! Remember, dinner is provided this year!

Thank you guys for everything, and see you soon!

Updated December Volunteer Opportunities

Now with better dates, an added dog mobile and an RSVP link for the Foster and Volunteer Appreciation Party!

As always, let me know what you'd like to do!

Coming up in rough Chronological Order:

As always, let me know what you'd like to do!

Friday, November 22nd Santa Paws- FULL! Thank you!

Saturday, November 30th Santa Paws- FULL! Thank you!

Sunday, December 1st Santa Paws- FULL! Thank you!

Thursday, December 5th Volunteer/Foster Appreciation Party!

• Where: The Office!
• When: 5:30-7:30ish
• Needed: YOU! RSVP here.
• How Many: You, your family, your kids (and a dessert IF you feel like it.) Dinner is provided.

Saturday, December 7th Dog Mobile (new!!)

• Where: Emeryville Bay Street
• When: Noon-4pm
• Needed: Mobile Coordinator, dog handlers
• How Many: 1 coordinator, 3 dog handlers

Saturday, December 7th Santa Paws- FULL! Thank you!

Sunday, December 8th Santa Paws- FULL! Thank you!

Sunday, December 15th- FULL! Thank you!

Saturday, December 21st Dog Mobile Adoption Event

• Where: Pet Food Express Rockridge
• When: 12-3
• Needed: Dog Handlers
• How Many: TBD

Saturday, December 21st Santa Paws- FULL! Thank you!

Sunday, December 22nd Santa Paws

• Where: North Oakland Pet Food Express
• When: TBD (probably 12-3)
• Needed: Santa, assistants, coordinator
• How Many: 1 Santa, 1 assistants, 1 coordinator

Hi Fosters and Volunteers,

Hope you all are doing well! This has been a pretty exciting and busy week around here. Today we were featured in a live chat by the Chronicle of Philanthropy about microvolunteering and welcomed new volunteers from Toolworks, a group that helps adults with disabilities get job skills. Sam and Trisha went did a tour de shelter today and sprung some dogs and cats and Erica planned the arrival of some puppies! Our humane education program has been kickstarted- we’ll be teaching 5 classes next week, and it’s not too late to bring Hopalong to a school near you- bring the message of kindness to the kids in time for the holidays!

In adoption news, Dallas the Dog found his forever home and kittens continue to find new scratching posts (read: couches).

Coming up, we still have many spaces open for Santa Paws so check out the dates and times and let me know when you’d like to join us! We also invite you to join the Cat Care Team at Woodlands in Marin- there will be an orientation this Friday in Mill Valley. If you’re in Marin or have friends in Marin, please let them know about this cuddling opportunity!

And of course you’ve already marked your calendar for December 5^th at 5:30, but that’s our Very Fun Volunteer and Foster Appreciation Party. I’ve set up a place to RSVP, and if you can take a minute to do that between now and then, it will help me know how many dinners to tell Juliet to cook. (Just checking if you’re still reading.)

Thank you, everyone, for all of your work!

New Volunteer Ops!

Coming up in rough Chronological Order:

As always, let me know what you'd like to do!

Friday, November 22nd Santa Paws

• Where: Pet Food Express Corporate HQ, Oakland
• When: 1-4pm
• Needed: Santa, assistants
• How many: 1 Santa, 1 assistants

Saturday, November 30th Santa Paws

• Where: Woodlands Mill Valley
• When: 11:30am-3:30pm
• Needed: Santa, assistants, coordinator
• How Many: 1 Santa, three assistants, 1 coordinator

Sunday, December 1st Santa Paws

• Where: Woodlands Novato
• When: 11:30am-3:30pm
• Needed: Santa, assistants, coordinator
• How Many: 1 Santa, four assistants, 1 coordinator

Thursday, December 5th Volunteer/Foster Appreciation Party!

• Where: The Office!
• When: 5:30-7:30ish
• Needed: YOU!
• How Many: You, your family, your kids (and a dessert IF you feel like it.) Dinner is provided.

Saturday, December 7th Santa Paws

• Where: Emeryville Bay Street
• When: 11:30am-4:30pm
• Needed: Santa, assistants, coordinator
• How Many: 1 Santa, 3 assistants, 1 coordinator

Sunday, December 7th Santa Paws

• Where: An East Bay Pet Food Express (to be determined)
• When: TBD (probably 12-3)
• Needed: Santa, assistants
• How Many: 1 Santa, 2 assistants

Sunday, December 15th 

• Where: San Leandro Pet Food Express 
• When: TBD (probably 12-3)
• Needed: Santa, assistants
• How Many: 1 Santa, 3 assistants

Saturday, December 21st Dog Mobile Adoption Event

• Where: Pet Food Express Rockridge
• When: 12-3
• Needed: Dog Handlers
• How Many: TBD

Saturday, December 21st Santa Paws

• Where: Pet Food Express Rockridge
• When: 11:30-3:30
• Needed: Santa, Coordinator, assistants
• How Many: 1 Santa, 3 assistants, 1 Coordinator

Sunday, December 22nd Santa Paws

• Where: An East Bay Pet Food Express (to be determined)
• When: TBD (probably 12-3)
• Needed: Santa, assistants, coordinator
• How Many: 1 Santa, 4 assistants, 1 coordinator

Wednesday is here and so is Hopalong!

I’m trying an easier format in the volunteer opportunities post today, let me know what you think when you sign up for things! Many events are Santa related, but not all, and as always, there’s tons of other ways to get involved- send me your interests and I’ll get you started. There’s also fostering- right now we’re especially looking for adult dog and cat fosters as well as temporary fosters for over the holidays. (You can also follow us on twitter or like us on facebook- it’s basically the easiest way ever to volunteer, but totally counts!)

I’d also like to ask you to save the date of Thursday, December 5^th from about 5:30-7:30ish. This is the date for our Hopalong Volunteer and Foster Appreciation Party and all of us are really looking forward to thanking you in person. The party will be here in at our office in Oakland, and there will be delicious and not-very-nutritious food for you. In the past we’ve asked you to bring something, and if you MUST, you can bring a dessert, but mostly, we just want you to bring YOU so we can thank you for all of your hard work in saving lives. (I may ask you to RSVP later to get a headcount for said food, but right now, just save the date!)

Thanks, guys, it’s an honor to work with all of you!

Fun Things to Do With Hopalong!

Once again, I come to you with a little something for everyone. Monday - Friday, 9-5ers, this just might be the time for you! Contact Lauren to sign up or with questions.

• SANTAPAWS! Every year Hopalong puts on Santa events for people and their pets- we're not just talking dogs and cats here, as you can see! This year these events will be every Saturday and Sunday in December. This is a wonderful chance to share holiday cheer with pet lovers from all over the Bay Area. We will need three to four handlers and helpers at each event and one coordinator for each event. Get your date now!
• LEARN TO COORDINATE: Contact Lauren if you'd like to learn how to be a coordinator for these events! (You don't have to commit to all of them- even one date is wonderful!)
• Assist at an event:
• Saturdays: November 30th, December 7th, 14th, 21st, (4 needed at each event)
• Sundays: December 1st, 8th, 15th and 22nd (4 needed at each event)

• THANK-A-THON: Help us say "thank you" to all of all of our donors! This is a fun twist on the cold call: Call people and instead of asking for something, just say "thanks" on behalf of Hopalong! Can be done at home and for as much or as little time as you want. Kinda fun, right?

• DECORATE A LOBBY- A large Oakland based company is going to be turning over their lobby to us. Our task: make donating to Hopalong *so fun* that staff won't be able to resist! This task involves creativity and craftiness. Up for the job?

• ORIENTATION: Want to reach out to new volunteers? Help them realize how amazing Hopalong is? I'm looking for a superstar to help me out one Saturday a month orienting new volunteers. This is a tricky one and requires super reliability, a gregarious personality and ability to speak in front of small to medium groups. 

• UPCOMING INTERNSHIP: We are working out the details of our next internship, probably starting mid-January to line up with winter semester. This internship will focus on marketing and spreading the word. If you know any students or are a student, stay tuned, or get ahead of the game and contact me!

• SPAY/NEUTER PROGRAM: Got a passion for spay/neuter?We do, too! Next year we're going to be growing our outreach program and need help! This opportunity will combine data entry, answering some questions and doing some outreach about the program. Estimated start date is January 1st, 2014. 

• AMAZON WISHLIST: We are looking for one volunteer to help us build up and maintain our brand new Amazon wishlist. This is a great way for people to give us items we need (I know you've heard me complain about our copy machine!). Great opportunity to volunteer from home!

FURBALL! It's party time!

If you haven't bought your tickets for our 20th Anniversary Party on October 12th, there's still time!

UPDATE: ALL POSITIONS FILLED, THANK YOU!

If you'd rather help out, there's plenty of opportunities for all kinds of interests. Below, find out when each opening takes place to figure out if these fit in with your party plans! Sign up for as many as you'd like or email with questions. (Remember, the event takes place from 6:30-10:00)

Break Down:

• 5 people to help us break down the party. Time Frame: 10-11pm. Job Description: Stay a little late and help us clean up. This shouldn't be too bad, as we have *paid staff* this year! The more the merrier (and the quicker)!

Day Before Crafter:

• 1 or two people to come into the office and help us get ready. Time Frame: Thursday or Friday, Oct 10th/11th. Job description: Sign making, artsy skills, photo printer.

Ticket Taking:

• 1 person to help take tickets, swipe credit cards, hand out paddles. Time frame: 6:00-7:00 pm. Job description: Multi-tasking, fast paced, quick learner!

Set Up:

• 1 person to help staff set up Cerrutti Cellars. Time Frame: 4:30-6:30.

Photo Booth:

• 1 person to help us get people in and out of the photo booth. Time Frame: 6:00 - 9:00 Job Description: Take money, escort people in and out, check phones for facebook likes. 

Silent Auction Closer-Outers:

• 1 person to help our Silent Auction Manger figure out who won what and what is going home with whom! Time Frame: 9:00-10:00 pm. Job Description: We will have online and off-line bids going on. Our Silent Auction Manager will be in charge, so you'll help follow directions and check people out.

Spread the Word!

Ever heard of Microvolunteering?

It's the new thing, and it's really easy. Here are some really quick ways you can help Hopalong today.

• Download and print this flier- spread the the word about our 20th Anniversary Party coming up on Saturday, October 12th.
• Don't have a printer? Share the link on all of your social networks- and we know you've got them!
• Follow us on your social networks! We've got twitter and facebook and we're working on improving our social media presence.

These things may sound small, but they're little ways you can help homeless animals with a click, a print and a "share." You can do it!

Coming up!

Here's what we've got coming up: lots of good stuff!

Listed roughly by date:

Marin Pet Fair- This is an annual adoptathon in Marin that runs for two days- Saturday October 5th and Sunday October 6th from 10-5. We'll have lots of dogs and cats and will need lots of volunteers! I'm happy to help organize carpools.

• Dog Coordinators- both days
• Dog Handlers- we probably need 5-6 each day, possibly more if you only want to work a half day
• Set up and break down- both days

Furball- this is our big event on October 12th and I don't have details on what exactly we need yet. If you would like to commit to volunteering for an unknown position yet, please let me know! (Positions likely include setting up, taking tickets, etc)

Dog Mobiles- In the midst of all of this, we've got our normal dog adoption events coming up!

• Pet Food Express- Saturday, October 19th, 12-3, 3 or 4 dog handlers, transport to and from
• Fenton's- Saturday, October 26th, 12-3, 3-4 dog handlers, transport to and from

Meet the Fosters: Lisa, Mark, Diego and kittens?

Some people are dog people. Some people are cat people. Some people think those categories are ridiculous: dogs and cats are both animals, right?

Diego, the Little Brown Dog, and kittens!

Lisa and Mark are animal people, and luckily for Hopalong, they're animal fosters! And they've reached the point where animals start coming to them, even on their days off- recently Mark was riding his bicycle many many miles away and found itty bitty kittens on the side of the road. Guess where those ended up? At last count, they'd fostered over twenty animals, including little guy, Enzo, for months and months while his leg healed. They've even got their son Gavin involved- current foster Diego is absolutely smitten with him!

We have a lot to learn from Mark, Lisa and Gavin: they're in it for the long haul and for the dirty work of fostering. Sometimes their animals have casts, sometimes the animals have nasty rashes that require dipping in stinky sulfur baths, and, as with this last batch of kittens, they're not always quite eating on their own. This work is exceptionally rewarding: casts come off, rashes go away and kittens start eating, but it's hard! Thanks to Lisa and Mark for bringing out the best in Hopalong animals!

So Many Opportunities!

Here's what we've got coming up; what will you be doing?

Listed roughly by date:

Myrtle's Sundae Selling- Fenton's Creamery on Piedmont Ave is selling a specially created and delicious- looking sundae all month and 25% of proceeds go to Hopalong! Sales do better when we've got a volunteer out talking up the organization. Shifts available:

• Saturday, September 21st, 12-3
• Saturday, September 28th, 12-3
• Any other day you are free and would like to go!

Cat Mobiles and Mobile Training- Our fabulous Cat Crew has been handling mobile adoptions for years and are ready for more Cat Slaves! Learn how to assist at cat mobile adoption events and help find cats new homes this month!

• Cat Mobile Training: Saturday, September 21st, 11am, at the office
• Mobile Adoption: Sunday, September 22nd, 12-3, Your Basic Bird in Berkeley (need to have been trained in some way to attend this mobile)
• Mobile Adoption: Sunday, September 29th, 12-3, Fenton's (need to have been trained in some way to attend this mobile)
• Adoptathon: Saturday, October 5th and Sunday, October 6th, 10-5, Marin (we will have coordinators at this event, so no training required, but encouraged!)

Dog Mobiles- In the midst of all of this, we've got our normal dog adoption events coming up!

• Pet Food Express- Saturday, September 21st, 12-3, 3 or 4 dog handlers, transport to and from
• Fenton's- Saturday, September 28th, 12-3, 1 or two dog handlers, transport to and from

Wine Walk- Emeryville Bay Street (the same place Maddie's was this year) is hosting a charity event and donating the proceeds to Hopalong! There will be music, wine and... Hopalong representing!

• Saturday, October 5th, 3:30-7 at Emeryville Bay Street, 3 1 volunteers needed.

Marin Pet Fair- This is an annual adoptathon in Marin that runs for two days- Saturday October 5th and Sunday October 6th from 10-5. We'll have lots of dogs and cats and will need lots of volunteers! I'm happy to help organize carpools.

• Dog Coordinators- both days
• Dog Handlers- we probably need 5-6 each day, possibly more if you only want to work a half day
• Cat Handlers- Sunday, October 6th only; trained or untrained is fine for this event as we will have staff at this event
• Set up and break down- both days

Furball- this is our big event on October 12th and I don't have details on what exactly we need yet. If you would like to commit to volunteering for an unknown position yet, please let me know!

Thursday Email (What?)

Hi Everyone,

I know it's weird, but I don't want to miss my chance to say "hi" and "thank you!" this week, or to tell you about all the cool stuff that's coming up!

Thanks to everyone who came to the First Ever Hopalong Volunteer and Foster Social last week at Hive Cafe! I know I had fun and it was a great chance to hang out with you guys in a more informal setting. If there's interest, we'll get these going more regularly. Feedback welcome!

We have a lot of really cool opportunities coming up, some in September and many many more in October. I've posted them here with details, but to give you a rough idea, we get to boost ice cream sales at Fenton's in Oakland (YUM!), adopt out a bunch of animals in Marin, sell wine in Emeryville (woooo!) and then host a gala event! There is literally something for everyone here, so check out the dates and details and let me know what sounds good. We'll also be holding extra cat mobiles in September and all of our normal dog mobiles. If you're still interested in getting trained for cat mobiles, it's not too late!

Thank you to all of the fosters that have been doing such a great job with puppies and kittens! These little guys are so cute to look at but there's just a LITTLE more to puppies and kittens than that... lots of pee and poop and cleaning and socializing and yeah, you get the picture. These animals are getting into great adoptive homes with the help of our awesome volunteers which means we're pulling more and saving more lives which means we need more fosters! If you're free or have a friend or neighbor, send them our way. You guys are wonderful, thank you!

That's all for now- and don't forget, even though this is your Wednesday email, today is really Thursday. Back at your regularly scheduled time next week!

Yours,

Lauren

October is Extraordinary!

It seems too early for September and here we are thinking about October!

October is one of the busiest months at Hopalong, so pull out your calendars and check your availability. We've got something for everyone- let me know which opportunity works for you!

October 5-6th
Bay Area Pet Fair- Annual Adoptathon in Marin. The event is from 10-5 and shifts are available if you can't stay all day. Opportunities:

• Dog Handler
• Cat Handler
• Dog Mobile Coordinator
• Set up/Break Down.
• Set up on October 4th.

October 5th

Bay Street Charity Wine Walk- Hopalong is the featured charity at a wine tasting event in Emeryville. The event is from 3-7ish and will involve schmoozing. Opportunities:

• Tabling
• Ticket Sales

October 12th

Furball/20th Anniversary Celebration! This is the Big Event around here and we hope that you will attend. If you want to help out, that's even more awesome! Opportunities include:

• Set up
• Assisting with the Auction
• Taking tickets
• and more!

If you're looking to get started sooner...
Fenton's is selling a special sundae this month for us and we're hoping to stand outside and talk it up! If you like ice cream (uh...) and Hopalong, we need tablers every Saturday this month (7th, 14th, 21st and 28th).

Meet the Fosters- Tina and Chico!

When Tina signed up to foster dogs in May, we told her what we usually tell new fosters: fostering can last anywhere from a couple of weeks to a few months. We also told her that our Maddie's Pet Adoptathon event was right around the corner and that most of our dogs were likely to get adopted at this event.

We sent Tina home with Chico that month and now, over three months later, Chico is still with Tina. We can't quite figure out what the deal is: Chico is kind of a LBD (Little Brown Dog), but he's big enough that he is a "real dog" size. He's dog-selective: he doesn't love every dog he meets, and his terrier personality comes out around cats, but he is exceedingly smart and trainable, athletic enough to hike and adult and mellow around the house. At the Maddie's event, Tina taught him tricks that he learned on the spot- not an easy feat for a dog in such a highly stimulating environment!

It wasn't the easiest transition- transitions can often be difficult for both the human foster and the foster animal- Chico wasn't super into Tina's dog, Bella, but Tina was patient and Bella was persistent, and you can

see the results for yourself. Tina reports that Chico's leash walking and manners have improved, this LBD is a gem in the crate and has won over his temporary foster home who takes him for overnights. Every experience is different, and Chico reminds us that big challenges and big wins can come in little packages. Tina reports that she has learned a lot from fostering and is now a little worried about her next transition- when Chico finds his forever home!

Weekly Wednesday Email

Hi Everyone,

I hope you’re all doing splendidly as summer winds down, kids start school and the baseball season ends (hopefully) with a  bang!

We had a fabulous time at the Kitten Extravaganza at Berkeley Animal Care Services a couple of Saturdays ago. Thank you to our awesome cat crew who staffed the booth and the fosters who got the kittens ready for their big day. ALL TEN of the kittens that went to the mobile got adopted! If you’re interested in learning how to help out a these cat events, there is a cat mobile adoption training this Saturday, August 31^st at the office at 10am.

Tomorrow night, Thursday August 29^th is the First Ever Volunteer and Foster Social! If you’d like to RSVP, please feel free to do so here. If not, you can still show up! The event is at Hive Café on 2139 MacArthur Blvd in the Dimond District in Oakland from 6-7:30 PM. There will be sandwiches and a variety of beverages available for purchase, so come hungry and thirsty! Kids welcome- Hive is kid friendly and kids are totally part of the Hopalong family! Although cats and dogs are also part of the family, this event is human only. Next time!

See you tomorrow,

Lauren

Social: It's Here!

It's social time!

Please take a second to RSVP here, though not RSVPing doesn't mean you can't come! Family, including kids, welcome.

Details:

Thursday, August 29th, 6pm-7:30pm

Hive Cafe, 2139 Macarthur Blvd, Oakland

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Wednesday Email: Short and Sweet!

Hi all,

Hope you're swell today!

Just a couple quick things for you. First, tomorrow is our second California Pizza Kitchen day. Bring your friends, your appetite and the flier to California Pizza Kitchen in Emeryville and Hopalong receives a portion of the proceeds!

Next, Saturday, August 31st at 10:00 I will be holding a training for cat mobile adoption events at the office. If you're interested, please email me or sign up in the volunteer database.

Lastly, and most excitingly, it's time for the social! Please RSVP here if you can, and pick a sandwich if you think you might want to eat. If you can't commit, that's okay, too. The social will be held on Thursday, August 29th at 6pm at Hive Cafe, 2139 Macarthur Blvd, Oakland 94602. There will be sandwiches, goodies, coffee, tea and adult beverages available. I've gotten a lot of feedback that fosters and volunteers want chances to hang out and socialize out of volunteering hours and this is our pilot hang-out session! Bring your families- this is a kid friendly event!

Thanks all, looking forward to seeing you next week!

Lauren

Pet Food Recalls

Thank you to the volunteers who pointed out that another pet food recall has been issued. Please take a moment to see if any food you have in your house has been affected.

Volunteer Opportunities: 20th Anniversary Updated

We're getting into full swing planning the 20th Anniversary! As always, if interested, contact Lauren. Couple positions still needing filled:

• Sponsor Seekers- The Sponsor Seekers will reach out to a prepared list of businesses in order to recruit financial sponsorship for the 20th Anniversary Event. After the call, there are pre-made email and mail out packets of information to send out to these businesses. This job can be done by phone at home (the office is fine, too!). Requires phone skills!

• Invitation and RSVP management- We've got software that allows for people to purchase tickets online and we will also be mailing invitations. Our Invitation/RSVP manager will be responsible for entering the snail mail tickets and making sure everything lines up. This position will require coming to the office at least once a week to pick up the invitations; the work can be done from home or at the office. Requires ability to learn the software.

• Donor Entry Associate The Donor Logger will enter donations received by people who can't attend the event but still want to contribute. Requires coming into the office at least once a week to pick up the information; working at the office preferable. Requires ability to learn the software.

Meet the Fosters- Deb, Jean and Mochi!

Today we're introducing a new feature: Meet the Fosters!

Deb and Jean are some of our devoted cat fosters. They foster cats, kittens and we can always count on them to foster some of our more challenging critters. Sometimes they even foster both.

Their current foster cat, Mochi, is deaf. No challenge is too big for Deb and Jean: Mochi was a little shy and, let's face it, strange at the beginning, so they did a bunch of research on working with deaf kittens and really helped her personality blossom.

One thing we can learn from Deb and Jean is some awesome bio writing skills. Here is the most recent update they send along about Mochi (feel free to pass on, as Mochi is eager to go to her new home!)

Mochi is sweet little cat who is deaf and needs a special forever home. Due to her disability, she has a heightened sense of the world around her, but it doesn't slow her down. She wants nothing more than to learn your routine, be a part of it and please you. Mochi lives for kisses on the top of her head, ear scratching and kitty treats. She'll be playing with her toys or watching the world go by and then be perched in her cat tree before you know it. Mochi gets along well with older, easy-going cats, not so much with kittens. If she had her way, Mochi would be an only child. She startles easily, so probably won't do well with dogs. Mochi says children are OK if they won't chase her. Once she learns to trust her forever family, she’ll become your darling little sidekick.

Too Much Good Stuff Wednesday

Hi All,

It’s Wednesday! I have lots of news and food for thought.

First, thank you for filling out the survey: mark your calendar- the First Volunteer and Foster Social will be on Thursday, August 29^th at 6pm at Hive Café in Oakland. The café is located at 2139 MacArthur Blvd. There will be sandwiches, coffee and tea and we will have adult beverages available for a donation. This event is totally family friendly: we know that kids are vital Hopalong fosters! I will probably set up one last poll as we get closer to the date so that we can give Hive a rough head count.

CATelyn and New Brother

Next, as Furball gets closer, we’ve identified two Very Important Tasks that need filling. If these sound like your skills, please holler!

·         Software Point Person for Good: If you’re fairly tech savvy and want to use your skills for a cause, we’ve got some software that needs setting up. This software handles our auction, ticket sales and a variety of other event-related tasks. The bulk of the work will happen in the next two weeks, but we’re also looking for you to be our go-to when questions come up until the event in October. Availability by email is important, daytime phone access even better! Working from home (or work) is totally cool for this.

•            Solicitation Follow-Upper: We sent out a bunch of silent auction solicitation letters and now we need to follow up. If you are good at schmoozing, buttering people up, making cold calls and generally getting people to say “YES!” then this is a great job for you. This opportunity can also be done from home (or work), but you’re more than welcome to come into the office.

Sam sends along the news that Catelyn, who we pulled from the shelter with her litter of babies has found a purr-fect forever home with an awesome feline brother she can snuggle up with. It's success stories like this that remind us of how rewarding our work can be.

We’ve been pulling together some training opportunities and I want to make sure you’re aware of them. Here are the first ones- let me know and stay tuned for more.

Last thing: we’ve got lots and lots of puppy adoptions coming up and are looking for some volunteers to do home visits this weekend. If you’ve done these or would like to learn how, please contact me or Trish.

Thank you!!!

Training Opportunities

We have been working hard on developing ways for Hopalong volunteers and fosters to grow as animal people- a small way that we can give back to you for all of the hard work that you do for us. One of the ways we do this is by offering training courses to our volunteers. The training courses are a great way to help our volunteers gain a better understanding about the animals they're fostering and their own pets. If any of these interest you, please feel free to contact me about them- we hold classes and I can also fill you in individually.

These are the training opportunities we either currently have or are in the works:

Dog handling at mobile adoptions: Handling dogs at mobile adoptions is one of the most "hands on" opportunities Hopalong offers. It's a chance to show off the dogs to the public and help get them adopted as well as see how the public interacts with unknown dogs. Want to learn more about dog body behavior? Learn more about the adoption process? Get into the minds of potential adopters? This is it.

Assisting and coordinating mobile adoptions (dogs): Mobile coordinators and assistants handle everything about mobile adoptions. These guys wrangle dog handlers, potential adopters and a whole lot of paperwork. If you've got an eye for detail and are interested in educating and don't mind talking to the public (and sometimes saying "no"), this is a good chance to take on some responsibility.

Assisting and coordinating mobile adoptions (cats)- coming soon- please let me know if you are interested! (See above- this is very similar to coordinating dog mobiles, only with cats.)

Screening dog adoption applications: When people apply to adopt a dog, Hopalong promises to get back to them within 24-48 business hours. Volunteers are the first people who talk to them: they get a sense of what's going on beyond the page with a short (10-15 minute) phone call. Learn about how to read between the lines and educate prospective adopters on things like crate training, picking the right dog and the adoption process.

Screening cat adoption applications- coming soon- please let me know if you are interested. (see above- very similar to screening dog adoptions, only with cats!)

In addition, on the right of this page there are some resources- this is very much a work in progress and you will see that right now they're mostly dog-centric. That will change, I promise! These resources are designed to be helpful for foster families as well as for anyone with a pet or with friends with pets. If you have questions on anything foster related, feel free to email me and I will create something for you.

Wednesday Update

Hi Everyone,

First, a thank you for being so fabulous. This week you’ve eaten pizza, moved furniture and supplies, made copies, handled dogs, screened adoptions, fostered dogs, puppies, cats and kittens, driven animals hither and thither, cleaned up massive amounts of poop, entered data, ran mobile adoption events, made movies and did a whole lot of other things. I’m tired just thinking about it!

We’ve got another fun thing coming up in addition to pizza: We’re participating in the New Parkway’s Karma Cinema month. Go to the New Parkway in Oakland, watch a movie and help out Hopalong! Details here. This is also your last chance to vote for your preferred time for the upcoming Foster and Volunteer social here. We will be picking a date this week, so vote now!

 

Cat news: the long term cat, CATelyn (yes, with the capital letters) was adopted this week! The cat crew will also be hosting two cat mobiles coming up: this Saturday at Your Basic Bird in Berkeley from 12-3 and next Saturday at Berkeley Animal care Services, time to be decided (we’ll keep you posted). Tell your friends!

Dog news: Erica has asked me to ask you to return any unused dog supplies, if you’ve got them. The cute puppies at left are also begging for a foster home. They love their foster mom but their foster mom says that 6 weeks is a long time to have two puppies. If you can take them, even for a weekend, or one or both for longer, everyone will appreciate it. They’re crate trained!

Coming soon: 20^th Anniversary planning. Some of you have told me you’re interested, and I’ve made a note, but if you haven’t, and you are, now’s the time!

Okay, all, you’re wonderful.  Have a good afternoon,

Karma Cinema!

Hopalong Animal Rescue is of four non profits being featured in August at the New Parkway Theater in Oakland! They are a great group of people who have renovated the place and started this "pay what you want" offering on select days.

A one minute video created by our stellar volunteer Monique will be running before each movie showing for the entire month of August. 

Each audience for every movie will vote who they want the proceeds to go to, and 30% will be donated to the winner!

Go see a movie and tell your friends!

Volunteer at PetSmart Pinole

We have a lot of shifts available for our cats at Pinole PetSmart. These cats are available for adoption and cuddling! Volunteers usually go once a week and cuddle, scoop and feed. There's a room the cats can go and play and where volunteers can socialize with them. This is a great chance to get your kitten fix!
Shifts are available every day except Sunday. Please be in touch with me!

Social Time!

So, we've got a venue (Hive Cafe in Oakland)- now we just need a time! Fill out an even SHORTER survey than last time and we'll have a date! This isn't commitment to attend, but we'd like to get a feel of a) when would be best to have this event, and b) about how many people would come. As always, feel free to email me with any questions/comments.

Also, kids welcome, especially those who help us foster- we consider them crucial members of the Hopalong family!

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Many Animal Wednesday!

Hi Fosters and Volunteers and Volunteers who Might Be Fosters Soon,

Hope everything is well with you! If you haven’t heard, we have lots and lots of dogs and puppies who need foster homes. If you’ve thought about fostering in the past, this is a great time. If you know anyone who might want to foster a dog or puppy, send them this way- we’re very welcoming! We’ve got small adult dogs and medium/large breed puppies, and foster-to-adopt is a-ok with those guys. Spreading the word is also a great help: we have an ad on Craigslist that’s an easy way to get the word out.

This is also a great time to adopt a kitten- it’s that time of the summer when kitten adoptions slow down. All of you have done a great job fattening up these kittens and socializing them, now we need to remind people that the kittens are out there. Tell your friends to check out our website, visit our petfinder or “like” us on Facebook.

Spreading the word takes just a minute but is an enormous help and we really appreciate it. Another thing that doesn’t take too long (and tastes good!) is eating pizza! Tomorrow (July 25^th) is our first FUNdraiser with California Pizza Kitchen. You and your friends (and acquaintances) can print out and bring in this ad to the California Pizza Kitchen in Emeryville on Bay Street and eat away. For every diner that brings in the ad, Hopalong gets 20% of the check! (Make sure and say “hi” to the Hopalong volunteers while you’re there!)

After you eat at CPK, you might want to burn off some of the cheese and dessert: We’re moving stuff across the parking lot from our storage unit to our office on Saturday, July 27^th and really need some help. We got very short notice about this move and there is a LOT of it. If you’ve got an hour to spare, we’d love if you could move a load or two!

A quick thank you to the people who have brought in dry kitten food- the kittens have already eaten it and say thank you! We asked them to slow down, but they’re still asking for more! Sheesh! Also, thank you to the great volunteers who came in on Saturday to learn how to screen prospective dog adopters. This promises to be a giant help. More classes in the works! As always, opportunities on the blog including a bunch of drives. Also coming soon, our first volunteer & foster social- I have a meeting tomorrow with a potential host. Yay!

Thank you, all, for everything.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Lauren

Opportunities

• Driving! We've got dogs and they need rides! For sure we will need drives Thursday, July 25th, Friday, July 26th and Monday, July 29th. Please let me know if you're available. Minivan available!
• Weekend moving party: This Saturday, July 26th, we are moving our storage unit back into our office. We need a few gung-ho people to shuffle stuff around (some heavy, some not). Even an hour helps!
• Cat Cuddling: Both of our sites (PetSmart in Pinole and PetCo in Emeryville) have shifts available. If you live close to either of those sites and want to pick up a weekly shift for kitten love, let us know!
• Fostering! We have *so many* dogs that need fostering, it's kind of ridiculous. The puppies are included below, but there are adults, too. And if you like kittens better, well, we've got those, too! Have some summer fun with these guys! Contact me or Erica.

Wednesday! Wednesday! Wednesday

Hi Fosters and Volunteers!

I hope you are well and this weekend is speeding by for you! Thank you all for participating in the “do you want to hang out with Hopalong Fosters and Volunteers” survey- if you haven’t, here’s your shot! Preparations are underway and I’ll have updates for you soon.

I’ve got some long term dogs to talk about today: first, congratulations to Maddie (the tripod) for leaving the building! Thank you to Kris and Lanie for keeping that sweetheart for so long. Second, please take a second to check out and share Chico’s profile (pictured, left). Chico is a really wonderful guy whose adoption donation has been reduced for the simple reason that he’s getting overlooked.  He’s a good hiker, a fast study, and crate trained. Like Maddie, this is one of those dogs leaving us shaking our heads and wondering why the best ones stay with us for so long!

I know it’s a little early to plan your dinner for next Thursday, but we’re partnering with California Pizza on July 25^th, August 22^nd, September 26^th and October 24th. Any diner who presents this flier will have 20% of her check donated to Hopalong! You can help even if you can’t eat at CPK those days- spread the word by passing out fliers, forwarding this email or linking it on your social media sites. The flier is also available right from our homepage if you want to direct someone there. This fundraiser only works if a) you bring the flier and b) you eat at CPK on one of those days so spread the word and bring a friend and an appetite!

Speaking of eating, the kittens say thank you for the yummy grub that you’ve donated! It seems that this batch of kittens came with bottomless pits for stomachs, though, and they’re now asking for even more dry kitten food. Anything you’ve got helps, at least until we figure out how to get them to California Pizza Kitchen!

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Jack London Square adoptathon this weekend. It was a great success!

Thanks all, and as always, have a great afternoon/evening!

Best,

lb