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One of the requirements of becoming a 501c3 is creating a mission statement. HRI's mission statement is "Havanese Rescue Inc. (HRI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization formed for the charitable purposes of rescuing purebred Havanese and Havanese mixes which are homeless or soon-to-be-homeless, including those found in animal shelters or similar facilities and those relinquished by their owners. The dogs are provided with the attention, care, and medical treatment necessary, including spay/neutering. HRI also focuses on education of the public regarding puppy mills and responsible dog ownership, including spay/neutering, training, and humane care of Havanese and other pets." This statement drives what we do as a rescue. The sole reason we can fulfill this mission is because of the hard work of our volunteers and, more importantly, the monetary support we receive from our supporters. The reality is we can only follow our mission with money. This is where fundraising comes in. We are dedicating this bulletin to our fundraising efforts because we are entering the season for two of our largest fundraisers.
The first of these fundraisers, The Havanese Rescue Quilt Project, was started in 2003. This fundraiser aims to create a Havanese-themed quilt to raffle off at our breed's National Specialty. Currently, two quilts were made, one by HRI Quilters (The Greatest Show) and the other by The Havanese Quilters (Feeling Groovy). Some of you might have seen the announcement of the 2023 quilts, which produces much of a buzz through the HRI community. The culmination of this excitement is the winner's drawing at our National Specialty. HRI displays the quilts in person at this event, and most are in awe of the workmanship that goes into creating these pieces of art, which you can't appreciate unless you're there to see it for yourself. You don't need to be present to win, but seeing who the winner is in person is always exciting. This fundraiser raised over $11,000 last year, and its donation amounts have increased yearly. For more information about this important fundraiser and how to get a chance to win one of these beauties, please visit the homepage of our website by clicking on this link havaneserescue.com
Another one of our successful fundraisers, the fall auction, is scheduled to begin at the end of September and runs for two weeks. This fundraiser has also existed for many years, getting its start from Laura Casino. Things have evolved over the years, and this has become a true team effort involving many of our volunteers in making this so successful. There are two ways to help with the success of our auction. The first option is donating an item to the auction, and the second is bidding on these items. Last year's auction raised over $40,000 in thanks to our matching donor. More to come on this as we get closer, so keep your eyes out for donation requests and how and when to get signed up to participate.
As I mentioned above, we need money to give each dog coming into HRI the best possible care. Veterinary care is expensive and has increased exponentially since COVID. The majority of the dogs coming into HRI are seniors who require extensive dental treatments and many times the consultation of a veterinary specialist which most of the time ends with possible surgery, treatments, and medication to help our dogs be the best they can be. These two fundraisers, as well as many others, are even more important after the stoppage of the Amazon Smile program. We need to make up this difference in funding to continue helping our dogs to the extent we have in the past. We are only able to continue what we do with your help!
Thank you again for your support.
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