fun things to bark About

The Mane Event

NEER North (New England Equine Rescue) is a West Newbury, MA based 501c3 non-profit. Their mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome horses, donkeys and ponies in the New England area whose lives are at risk. They work with horse owners to help them avoid crisis situations, network with other rescues and educate the public about equine abuse and rescue. Their annual fundraising endeavor, The Mane Event & Annual Auction, will be held on Saturday, May 20th, at Coolidge Hall at the Topsfield Fair Grounds. This fun in-person event is sure to get lots of boots stomping! If you are interested in donating auction items (such as experiences, retail gift certificates, special wines, themed baskets, etc.), please email events@neernorth.org. Visit their website for tickets and more information on The Mane Event. This is a great way to get the word out about your products and services while supporting their mission of saving equines in need! (NeerNorth.org)

Fosters Homes Needed

If you’re looking to share some love and kindness this Spring, why not consider becoming a foster parent to a dog in need? Non-profit New England Lab Rescue has an abundance of rescued Labs and Lab mixes that are in dire need of short-term parenting until they find their fur-ever homes. Founded in 2010 by Maine- and Cape Cod-based Heather Labbe, NELR has found loving homes for over 3,000 dogs since its inception. Many of these dogs were living in overcrowded shelters down South and were scheduled for euthanasia. NELR does not have an actual facility, but rather places the dogs in well vetted, caring foster homes. To learn more about fostering, visit their website. And also, know that their requirements are pretty easy to meet if you’re a real dog lover! They include:

- Must own a comfy couch

- Must like walks

- Must like car rides

- Must laugh at funny antics

- Must like to play ball

- Must be patient and kind

- Must be forgiving of spills/accidents

- Must love snuggling

(NewEnglandLabRescue.com)

Stewie Vuitton…Our Local Celebrity

Every year Cadbury Chocolates holds an annual “Cadbury Bunny Tryouts,” a competition that invites pet owners nationwide to submit photos of their pet wearing bunny ears for a shot a starring in Cadbury’s Easter ad campaign. This year’s contest added a twist…it was all about rescue pets. And we are so proud of our big (little) local celebrity Stewie Vuitton for making it into the Top 10 Finalists out of thousands of entries! As a miniature therapy horse from Lifting Spirits Miniature Therapy Horses (based in Andover, MA), Stewie and his fellow miniature pals bring incredible joy to people of all ages throughout the Boston area with visits to nursing homes, children’s centers, schools and so much more.

He also brought a lot of hoopla to the local media, garnering coverage recently from CBS Boston, Boston 25, WHDH TV and even some national coverage on Yahoo! Precious Stewie, who stands 23” tall and suffers from dwarfism, came in second in a crowded field that included not only bunnies but also dogs, sheep, guinea pigs, ducks and cats. This year’s winner was Crash, a cat from Boise, Idaho. But in our minds…Stewie is the real winner because of all the JOY he spreads to many! Kudos to Stewie and his Mom Toni Hadad, founder of Lifting Spirits. Visit their website to learn more or to support this worthwhile organization.

(MiniTherapyHorses.net)

NHSPCA Annual Paws Walk

Get ready for a most BARK-tacular day! This year’s Paws Walk is Sunday, June 4! Join fellow dog-lovers at Stratham Hill Park and help save community fundraiser and helps save the lives of thousands of animals each year – all because of you! Walking at Paws Walk will help raise critical funds that provide lifesaving care for pets in-need. And be sure to stay for the festivities. The event will be held from 10:00 – 2:00, with the “Walk” starting noon. Visit their website for more information or to register online. This annual event is definitely one not to be missed! (nhspca.org)

Sweet Paws Pride Party

It’s a PAW-rty! Join Sweet Paws Rescue outside of the Riverwalk Brewing Co. in Newburyport for their annual Pride Pawrty on June 4th from noon - 4:00 pm. Dress in your favorite rainbow outfits (pups & peeps), take some pics in their fun photo station and enjoy some tunes! Riverwalk Brewing will be open and serving inside. As always, the event is dog- and family-friendly, so come one… come all! And don’t miss the Mutt Strutt Contest at 2:00 outside next to the picnic tables. There will also be an agility course and free parking! For more details visit the Sweet Paws Rescue Facebook page.