How did the rescue get started?

Several months before Fetchin’ Retrievers Rescue became a 501c3, a group of volunteers with many years of rescue experience met to discuss their goals to begin a rescue in Southern California. Their plan would be to rescue all varieties of Retrievers and Retriever mixes.    Their dreams became a reality when Fetchin’ Retrievers Rescue began their all- volunteer foster based Rescue organization in October 2019.

Can you tell us more about the mission behind Fetchin’ Retrievers Rescue?

Our mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and re-home all Retrievers and Retriever Mixes.  We operate in Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside County and San Diego County.  We partner with other rescue organizations, shelters, veterinarians and dog trainers/behaviorists as a resource if they encounter dogs in need.  Our applicants can foster with us or foster to adopt.  Both foster programs allow us to save more Retrievers who will ultimately thrive in new loving homes and become the dogs they were meant to be.  We are dedicated to supporting our adopters with added services such as behavior training to ensure success and permanent placements.

How do you define success as a nonprofit?

Rescue success is the result of finding that perfect home for a dog who has experienced a very difficult past, whether he/she was a stray, an owner surrender due to unforeseen circumstances, and/or a medically or behaviorally challenged dog.

What is the hardest part working at the rescue?

The most difficult part of rescue work is the heartfelt stories of all the abandoned dogs in our overcrowded shelters and the fact that we cannot save a higher numbers of dogs.

Do you have any favorite success stores you could share?

A story of Missy: Some dogs have major medical challenges that require multiple surgeries, long recovery and physical therapy and Missy was one of these.  Missy endured four knee surgeries, treatment for heartworm, intolerance of pain medication and infections.  In the beginning, Missy was isolating herself and seemed depressed, so we moved her to a new, experienced foster home who had another dog.  She excelled in this new home and really blossomed with having a canine friend.  This journey took well over a year when finally on the mend, her foster family adopted her and are committed to a lifetime of continued care.

And another about Murphy: Murphy was picked up while running on the Santa Monica freeway. The shelter classified him as “rescue only” status because during his capture, he bit his rescuer.  No one knows how this senior dog ended up on the freeway but when we saw his white muzzle, we knew that we could not let him spend any more time in the shelter.  Seniors tend to take a little longer than most to be adopted but the wait is worth it.  Murphy found an amazing adopter who just wanted to be a home for the neediest.  Murphy lived his last 2 1/2 years in a home with another canine, a couple of felines and a human Mom and Dad who cherished him while giving him love, the extra care he required and even rides in a wagon when his legs became weak on his walks.

Anything special you’d like to share?

We specifically rescue the neediest of dogs like those that have major medical and/or behavioral  challenges.  From puppies to seniors.

Meet Fetchin’ Retrievers Rescue in person on April 29th & 30th at Jackalope Pasaadena.

Web: http://fetchinretrieversrescue.org/

How did Stray Cat Alliance get its start?

Stray Cat Alliance started 21 years ago with one homeless kitten named Chloe. One cat needed care and support in a time when none was easily found. One cat was the catalyst of over 150,000+ lives saved over two decades. Today, we are still going strong and saving more lives than ever before. Every cat we save is a reminder of a time when cats and kittens were overlooked and is a recommitment to our mission of ensuring every cat is safe, healthy, and valued.

Where and how does the rescue get involved when saving a cat? 

Stray Cat Alliance has many programs that focus on lifesaving. One of the most successful programs is Safe at Home. Safe at Home empowers community members to serve as foster care givers, playing an integral part in saving animal lives. At the South Los Angeles shelter, Stray Cat Alliance community engagement counselors intercept people, before kittens and cats are impounded, and mentor and support them as fosters, providing training on all aspects from bottle feeding through adoption. We also supply all food and medical care. This is one of the few programs of its kind in the United States. It shouldn’t be. We would like to expand to as many communities as we can.

That is amazing. What is a typical day like working with the rescue?

Stray Cat Alliance is an incredible lifesaving team, from cat care, through the clinic, to our admin and program staff. Each day is full of hard work, dedication and lots of love that helps us achieve our lifesaving goals. We are very grateful for our donors, supporters, fosters and volunteers, too!

How do you define success as a non-profit?

Success is being able to save a furry life everyday and finding them a forever home.

Yes, love that! Does your work with Stray Cat help you in other areas of your life?

You learn so much about rescue, spay/neuter, cat care and medical care while working at Stray Cat Alliance. It's wonderful to be able to provide this experience, knowledge, and support to friends and family.

What is the hardest part of your job with Stray Cat Alliance?

Refraining from wanting to take home every cat and kitten that we save!

That would be hard! Can you tell us more about the process behind adoption and fostering?

Stray Cat Alliance Adoption Program:

Stray Cat Alliance's adoption program provides foster and forever homes for cats and kittens found on the streets through their Trap / Neuter / Return (TNR) program, impounded at the shelter, or from hotline requests for support when cats are faced with being taken to shelters or abandonment. Many cats from their other programs feed into their adoption program. Each cat and kitten receives veterinary care (spay/neuter, vaccines, testing, check-ups, microchips) until a permanent, loving home is secured.

Stray Cat Alliance Foster Program:

Whether your home is small or large, you live alone or have other animals, we have cats and kittens who need your help and will thrive under your care. We rescue nearly two thousand cats and kittens every year and rely on our fosters to help us care for them until they’re adopted. The more fosters we have, the more lives we can save.

Website page for adopting and fostering with Stray Cat Alliance: https://straycatalliance.org/adopt-and-foster/ 

Do you have a favorite story or moment from the rescue?

We recently rescued the cutest 8 week old kitten who we named John Belushi. He was on IV fluids, antibiotics and in oxygen for sever upper respiratory infection and pneumonia. After several weeks of critical care with our team, our litte fur-angel made a full recovery. He began walking, eating and breathing on his own. We never gave up on believing in little John Belushi. That is our lifesaving mission.

Any additional success stories we can share?

THIS STORY REALLY WARMS OUR PAWS! 💜

A big-hearted ❤️ community member went to the local shelter looking for help and guidance with two kittens that he found.

He had zero kitten supplies and purchased cat food from the closest store in order to put a little food in their bellies.

We told him that we would provide him with supplies and food if he was willing to foster the kittens 😻 until they are adopted, so he wouldn’t have to worry about purchasing supplies.

This is a photo of the community member holding our @CatalystPet donation because it is lightweight, and he was already carrying a few other cat supplies home on the bus. We asked him if the donations were too heavy for him to take, and he said, "He would manage!" What a sweetheart!

He was so grateful for our help and left confident that the kitties would be cared for with our support. We are never not amazed by how resilient and kind our community members can be. They go above and beyond to seek help for the kittens and cats, and we are very grateful to help!

Mellow & Alaska 😻 are available for adoption! Apply to Adopt from Stray Cat Alliance: https://bit.ly/adopt-sm

This is why your generous donations to Stray Cat Alliance are so important. Please consider donating from our Amazon or Chewy wish lists:

Amazon: https://a.co/a3MAeMQ

Chewy: https://bit.ly/3lcKhy6
Donate to our current lifesaving campaign, Kiss a Kitten this Season: https://bit.ly/kissakitten-ig23  

That makes us smile! We can’t wait to see you in person at Jackalope Pasadena!

Where to see more of Stray Cat Alliance:

Website | straycatalliance.org

Instagram | @straycatalliance

Jackalope has been very fortunate to work with Brighter Future Charity since 2017. Brighter Future is a California non-profit that works with children affected by autism. Their organization pairs individuals with autism with skills coaches and volunteers at local events to help learn and practice social and professional skills. What we love about Brighter Future is their desire to help kids explore their creative passion! As they state, everyone has a gift to share.

We have had the pleasure to work with Ray’s Shack, Something Extra Candle Productions, and Vyara’s Art, three entrepreneurs a part of Brighter Future Charity. Since we can’t meet them in person this year, we wanted to give you a look behind their brands.

Ray’s Shack

Tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do:

My name is Ray Tate and I sell key chains and jewelry. 

Let us know more about your business name - how did you come up with it?

It's called Ray's shack and it's a charity for a brighter future to help kids to find there skills and talent and see how creative I am so they can do it too. I did this to show my lego minecraft videos on my youtube channel, RayTate1.

Ray wanted me to sign him up at street fairs so he could pass out a business card directing people to his YouTube channel about his Minecraft LEGO World that he built. I explained to him that the booths cost money and that most of them were for artists that made something. I suggested he use my old jewelry making supplies to create some necklaces. He did his first show with six necklaces. That was four years ago. After three shows, he said “I need to make keychains, people keep telling me they don’t wear jewelry” I was most impressed by this. I sold jewelry at craft fairs for nine years and it never crossed my mind to diversify and I heard that for years. I’m so proud of Ray and how much he has grown. He is quite the salesman and very creative. 

What makes your business unique to the industry? 

I take old toys and make key chains and holiday ornaments for a recycled idea and I like doing it.

What is your favorite part of what you do?

See what creative ideas I have to make recycled new jewelry creations from broken and donated jewelry. Finding favorite characters for children and for adult customers to bring back childhood memories. 

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Something Extra Candle Productions

Tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do:

We are lifelong friends and candlemakers who have Down syndrome.

After taking candle classes, we decided to give our own business a shot. We make soy and beeswax candles with hemp wicks.

Let us know more about your business name - how did you come up with it?

Our business name is Something Extra Candle Productions. We were both born with an extra chromosome, so something extra is fitting. We also try to include tea-lights or other small candles with orders.

What makes your business unique to the industry? 

Some of our candles are in unique containers, some are hand painted and some have one of a kind labels we create. We also make labels for customers with personal photos of families, pets, art etc. 

What is your favorite part of what you do?

We like being creative, thinking of new ideas and trying to improve!

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Vyara’s Art

Tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do:

My name is Vyara, and I create original art.

What makes your business unique to the industry?

My business is unique because I create canvases using paint, duct tape, fabrics, acrylic medium, and found objects, that tell stories about characters I created. My canvases are imaginative and colorful, and my stories are particularly unique because I’m on the autism spectrum, so my imagination and perspective is unique.

What is your favorite part of what you do?

My favorite part about creating art is seeing my imagination come to life, and sharing my stories with others.

Learn more about Ray’s Shack / Something Extra Candle Productions / Vyara’s Art:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/RaysShack

https://www.etsy.com/shop/somethingextracandle

https://instagram.com/somethingextracandles?igshid=17e2vfduao1zy

https://www.etsy.com/shop/VyarasArt

Learn more about Brighter Future Charity:

http://brighterfuturecharity.org/

At each Jackalope Denver event we select a nonprofit as our event beneficiary who betters the community and inspires us to do more.  Zane Beadles Parade Foundation does just that, and this Spring we are very excited to work with ZBPF, learn more about them below and come show your support on May 19th & 20th! 

1. When was Zane Beadles Parade Foundation founded and why? In 2013, Zane Beadles – former Denver Bronco currently playing for the San Francisco 49ers – established the Zane Beadles Parade Foundation (ZBPF).  ZBPF is a non-profit organization focused on providing experiences to distract our pint-sized warriors from their daily treatments. Studies indicate the experiences patients receive outside of the hospital is just as important as the treatment they receive in the hospital and positive experiences can improve a patient’s quality of life, stress level and recovery.  In 2017 through our Greatest Gift program ZBPF has sent over 50 families in SF and Denver to cheer on the Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers, helped deliver 30 Bags of Fun with the Gabby Krause Foundation, hosted 4 pancake breakfasts and built a new Sports Court at Brent's Place, sponsored a Holiday Extravaganza at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children for 50 families, and the Winterfest at Cherry Creek North! 

Zane Beadles with the Denver Broncos

2. How did the name come about? While Zane was playing for the Denver Broncos the offensive line chose spirit animals.  The elephant was selected for Zane because of his size, he offers protection, strength, power, stability and wisdom.  Elephants offer good luck on a long hard journey and strength to make it through.  The elephant was selected to represent the foundation as the Zane Beadles Parade Foundation.  Zane believes life is about the journey not the destination and is dedicated to making the journey better for others.

3. What makes ZBPF so unique and special? The foundation is a start up and Denver is the home of our Foundation.  ZBPF is special and unique because even though we were started in Denver, we continue to make an impact in Salt Lake City, UT where Zane played for the University of Utah, in Jacksonville Florida where Zane played for the Jaguars, and currently in the bay area as he plays for the SF 49ers. We are committed to collaboration, and partner with organizations to ensure a level of dignity and financial respite so that our partner’s can continue to offer all of their services to our families at no cost.  Frequently totaling more than $1 million per child, the expenses associated with oncology care are devastating to a families financial wellbeing.  Many families have been impoverished by their child’s disease; often a parent must stop working to care for their child.  The average income of our families is $50k – that is if both parents are able to keep their jobs.  The families we serve require a minimum stay in the hospital of 120 days and incur more than $10k in expenses.  ZBPF’s goal is to raise funds to assist the families with their expenses as well as provide programming opportunities and experiences they would not otherwise have the opportunity to enjoy!

4. Why are you excited to partner with Jackalope this Spring? Because the festival is also a start up started by 2 hip, fun girls with a strong desire to give back to the community! Our values strongly align and we admire the fact Jackalope gives artists a chance to make a difference.  Also, our families love art and it is used as a form of therapy for them.  This will give ZBPF a chance to increase our exposure in the community as well as collect much needed art supplies to put in the newly established Zane's Zone-these Zones will be no procedure zones and allow the kids to just be kids!  The Zone will also have an adult area in order to provide a place for them to work and spend more time at the hospital with their children.

5. Where can we learn more about ZBPF and how can we help? On our new website at www.zanesparade.org.  You can help us spread the word about all the wonderful work we are doing in Denver, Salt Lake City and San Francisco!

This Spring Jackalope Pasadena decided to welcome Brighter Future Charity as our event beneficiary! Although the fair is as always free to attend, we want to encourage donations to Brighter Future and the families they help. Learn more about them below why we want to help out!

1. When was Brighter Future Charities Founded? Brighter Future was founded in 2013

2. Why did Brighter Future start? BFC was founded as a result of our founder, Mila Larios, noticing a sincere lack of inclusive support programs for families affected by autism. After one of her good friend's children was diagnosed with autism, Mila set out to create a support program to help others affected and bring about awareness in the surrounding communities. 

3. What makes Brighter Future so unique and special? One of the main things that makes BFC so unique is our focus on connecting our students with the community. So often you hear stories in the news of individuals with developmental issues only when speaking of motive or crime. BFC works to give a real face to the story of autism and help communities understand how to support those with autism. Not only that, but we work to showcase and support our autistic artists, who teach workshops and sell art at events to raise money for autism. 

4. Why are you excited to partner with Jackalope this Spring? We are excited to partner with Jackalope in the Spring after having such an amazing fair with you last fall. Our artists got so much out of seeing all the different ways in which they could turn their passion for art into a vehicle towards independence. Not only that, but our group could not get enough of the amazing activities offered to Jackalope patrons.  

BFC artists making Pinch Pots at Jackalope Pasadena with Cobalt and Clay!

5. Where can we learn more about Brighter Future and how can we help? For more information please visit our facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/brighterfuturecharity/ or on our website at www.brighterfuturecharity.org