Needle and Thread for Rescue

Today's post is about sharing your talent, your creativity, your glue pot, scissors, needle and thread to benefit pet rescue organizations. "HUH", you ask?  (I'd love to see your mental image at this point as you ponder how you can use glue, scissors, needle and thread to help a rescue cat or dog!  *grin*)

Westie Rescue Foster Mom Martha of Bessemer, AL, sent Molly to her new Forever Home with this adorable blanket that she had made. 

Martha was careful to put all of her family scents on the little blanket, both two-legged and four-legged family members.  Molly was able to enter her new life with the reminder of the Foster family that had loved her for about a month.  It was visibly comforting to her.

Martha's little blanket has been loved by all four of our Westie Rescues.  It is a perfect weight, and, of course, it has that highland plaid and the adorable appliqué Westies in each corner. 

Martha gave me permission to share her Westie and/or Scottie pattern, and I have drawn another Westie pattern to share with you, (FREE) with the hope that you can donate your time, needle and thread to make a few of these to donate to Westie Rescue to go home when a Rescue goes to his/her Forever Home.  I plan to make some!

One reader of a previous post about our Westies said she quilted for Rescue.  I hope to hear more from her to learn whether she pieces or appliqués little baby blankets to go home with Rescue pups or if she donates proceeds from her quilting to Rescue.

You may want to check out my free pattern for a  Pet Collar Slipcover.  If you make something from this pattern, please share a photo.  Here is the Flickr group of handmade pet clothes (not just stuff from my free patterns.) 

I have made two more free pet collar slipcover patterns to share with you, hopefully later this week...so check back.  Any of these Pet Collar Slipcovers would be super to donate to a Rescue organization.

So what if your favorite breed is the Great Dane or the Maine Coon Cat?  Well, there are Rescue organizations for almost every breed that has a name. 

Google it, and get in touch and offer to donate some Fur-baby Blankets or Pet Collar Slipcovers.  (Please share a photo of what you make from any of my free patterns!)

Another idea, again from Marvelous Martha, is to make handmade note cards depicting your favorite breed.

Martha has marked all of our Westie arrivals and deaths with a special card she has made. I can tell you that it means far, far more to receive a card a friend has not only written and mailed, but has constructed as well!  I treasure and save all of Martha's cards to our fur-kids.

Martha has a nice selection of Westie stamps of a number of styles and poses as well as scrapbooking supplies.  She is also a distributor for Oma's Pride and Bravo.  Furbaby Gourmet is the name.

(That reminds me:  I need to ask Martha if she can get any more of those dehydrated turkey hearts that Molly adored.  They were great to sneak medicine into Molly. Annie takes herbal medicine for her arthritic hips.)

If making something with needle and thread is not for you, then what about making something with scissors and glue?  You could make some Westie (or breed-specific) cards for Rescue to either sell at a fund-raiser or use for special mailings.

Here is a card that I made, a portrait of Molly's loving eyes.  It is titled, "My Eyes Adore You".  Gordon and I are donating all labor, equipment, etc, and providing these to Louisiana Westie Rescue for just the cost of the materials.  They will be selling these to raise money.  Contact Laura Ardoin, the founder, for details.

Why does a Rescue organization need money, you ask?  The adoption fee we gladly paid for Molly, Annie, Rebel and Mackie did not begin to cover the veterinary cost for those babies. 

In our experience, Martha and Vickie donated their time, transportation of our fur babies, their food, grooming, toys, etc.  For each of our four Westie adoptions, we returned to the farm with a big bag of food, treats, supplements and favorite toys.

There are many little Rescues that have health problems that make adoption almost impossible.  The Rescue volunteers usually adopt these heart-breakers.  You can read other stories on Pet Finders that will break your heart.

Under the Fur Babies category on this blog, you can read about our current pack of four English Shepherds, two Westie Rescues and one rescue Siamese-mix, the reigning queen of the farm.

In time, I will be sharing some of the funny stories our fur babies have caused me to write!  *grin*.   An English Shepherd acquaintance gathered many of the little stories we shared with an English Shepherd email discussion group and posted them on her website.  My mother, Alice Sanford, also contributed to these little fun stories.

Thank you for the outpouring of empathy about Molly's story.  Is it not amazing how these little fur balls can elicit such powerful emotions from us?

Comments

[Kathy]

I do rescue work. I need the free Westie and Scottie pattern, please.

[Karen in OR]

I have to say this is very cute. I have a westie myself. I really need to get back into sewing and this looks like an easy project and like you suggest to make a few for rescue westie...I will try if I can pull myself away from my knitting looms...maybe this summer.
thanks for the patterns

[Ricky]

The above site tells about the rescue of pet supply organization i have gone through the similar site which gives a very good information on the same topic with some simpler contributions

Dog supplies

[Debby Luttrell]

Penny...I would LOVE to have a Rescue Scottie. I'll look up the Texas chapter. You have inspired me to go Rescue!