Hi, my name is Luke Elliott and I am raising money for my bar mitzvah project for a local shelter that my family got one of our dogs from. (Buttercup in case you are wondering). It is called All 4 Paws. They are great and they are close by to where we live. We got an email from them that said they are in desperate need of help. Please if you can donate to my fundraiser it will really help them! Any amount would be appreciated. If you know me, you know how much I love animals ! I am really excited to help our four legged friends!

Here's the recent plea sent from All 4 Paws:

- While the vast majority of the approximately 1,400 dogs we rescue annually come from high intake, "kill shelters", we have worked hard to form relationships with commercial breeders so they call us when their dogs are being retired or cast aside. Most times, if we do not take these dogs when a call comes in, they will be sold back into the breeding trade or destroyed.

- We have rescued 267 dogs from commercial kennels so far this year. That figure is DOUBLE the amount of breeding dogs we have rescued in previous years.... and the calls keep coming in.

- Dogs from commercial kennels typically have extensive and expensive medical needs due to a lifetime of poor living conditions and minimal care. A single dog from a commercial kennel can cost us between $1,000-$8,000+ for vaccines, spay/neuter surgery, dental work, various testing, specialist visits, etc.

- In the last 5 years, our veterinary expenses have increased nearly 250%.

- In the last 9 months, we have spent $285,000 on veterinary care alone, while donations are down 75%.

…Plain and simple, we’re spending more than ever at a time when donations are the lowest they’ve ever been.

For 13 years, our team at All 4 Paws Rescue has worked tirelessly to give over 14,100 animals a second chance. There have been times we've struggled. We've learned a ton along the way, and we've grown tremendously as an organization. Still nothing could have prepared us for the challenges we are facing today. We are seeing red and do not want this deficit to affect our ability to save the lives of dogs who otherwise don’t stand a chance. The pandemic rocked the shelter/rescue community to its core and in its aftermath, adoptions, volunteer/foster help, and donations are at an all-time low. We are in the midst of a nationwide crisis and at the same time, more animals than ever need our help. Commercial breeders are unloading many of their breeding dogs and unsold puppies due to a drastic decrease in sales and we cannot turn our backs. Our greatest need right now is monetary donations for veterinary care. Please help if you can. Any amount will make a difference in paying our medical debt and will allow us to keep saying YES when we get the call for a pup in need.