Do You Have Room In Your Heart—And Home—For Some Big Paws?
Pets In Need’s Cause for Big Paws program is aimed at saving big dogs from being put down. Members of our team regularly travel to shelters in the Central Valley, East Bay, and South Bay that may have less capacity to house big dogs because of financial or space constraints. Pets In Need rescues those at greatest risk of being put down and either cares for them at our shelter or places them with foster families until they are adopted.
Did you know that big dogs are more vulnerable to being put down than smaller dogs?
Big dogs are slower to get adopted and at greater risk of being put down for a variety of reasons, including breed restrictions that limit apartment residents from adopting large dogs, they are more expensive to care for than smaller dogs, and many puppies grow up to be bigger than expected.
October is Cause for Big Paws Month!
We are celebrating our big paws all month long. See below how to get involved.
Big Paws IPA
We partnered with Freewheel Brewing in Redwood City to create Big Paws IPA. Join us on Thursday, October 5 at Freewheel from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. for a fantastic event filled with food, beer, and adorable puppies. A portion of all sales from Big Paws IPA will be generously donated to Pets In Need, helping us continue our mission of finding loving homes for animals in need. Can’t make it tomorrow? No problem! Big Paws IPA is a limited batch and will be available at Freewheel until it’s sold out.
Reduced Adoption Fees and Free Training!
Throughout October, we are reducing adoption fees to just $50 for all Cause for Big Paws dogs (adults who are 35+ pounds and puppies who we believe will be at least 35 pounds). We understand that adopting a larger dog comes with unique training needs. That's why we are also offering two free training sessions from a certified positive reinforcement trainer at Underdog Academy. We want to ensure that you and your new furry family member have the best start together.
How You Can Help
Adopt
Each time a dog is adopted into a loving home we cheer, knowing that we were true to our credo that says we will do whatever it takes for as long as it takes for every animal we save. You can welcome a wonderful dog into your life through adoption and remember that when you adopt a big dog, there’s even more to love.
Foster & Volunteer
The Cause for Big Paws program relies heavily on fosters who volunteer to take dogs into their hearts and homes until they find a forever family. Pets In Need provides fosters with all of the supplies and support they need from our behavior, foster, and medical teams. In return, volunteers open their homes for as long as they can, whether for two weeks or several months.
Donate
Cause for Big Paws was launched in 2019 with a seed grant from a local foundation. As the program continues to expand, we rely on generous support from donors to ensure that we can continue to rescue big dogs, provide them with the behavioral support and medical care they need, support them in foster care and find them forever homes.
Get Your Business Involved
To raise awareness of the program and our need for foster volunteers and adopters of large breed dogs, and in an effort to support local businesses, we launched the Cause for Big Paws Community Partner Program.