Who is McGrady?? What foundation am I talking about?? Fabulous McGrady and Friends Foundation provides assistance for rural Carolinas animal shelters and approved rescues looking to assist animals within them through fundraising, education and support for vetting, boarding, transportation and adoption.(taken from his webpage-links will be at the bottom of post)
In 2010, McGrady was picked up as a stray and taken to Ashe County Animal Control in Crumpler, NC. The stray hold is 7 days and if the dog is unclaimed it is put to sleep. There was something about McGrady that the staff seen in him and they kept him a record of length of 35 days. In March he was adopted from the shelter by Sheley Revis and soon afterwards, she discovered he was totally deaf. Never having a deaf dog before she didn't know how to train him or communicate with him. She started searching the internet and found Deafdogs.org and read up on ways to communicate with him. She already had other dogs who she had trained using the clicker method but since he couldn't hear the clicker , she used the thumbs up. McGrady soon discovered that once he did what she asked , she would give him Thumbs Up followed by a treat. I guess I should mention that he is treat driven. He really does love his treats!
Sheley used McGrady as a Ambassador to deaf dogs to show how awesome they could be but in 2011 she discovered the shelter he had been adopted from was in dire need of food. They didn't have the volunteers that most shelters have nor the resources to get people to bring food to the shelter. That is when it dawned on her that McGrady needed to be the spokesdog of rural shelters like the one he was adopted from. The Fabulous McGrady and Friends Foundation was formed. Through hard work they have made a difference in shelters in rural North Carolina.
I met McGrady in person at Barkworld in 2011. Boy is he a handsome fella. He is always happy and a joy to be around. He is a great spokesdog for deaf dogs. McGrady and I have a lot in common. We both look out for shelter animals. His foundation expands to more than just one , where mine is for the Owensboro Humane Society but I also try to help shelter animals in other counties too.
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| McGrady and me at Barkworld in Atlanta 2011 |
McGrady had a food/supply drive in February. It was called You buy dinner, I will drive food drive.
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| Actual campaign poster (facebook) |
The campaign helped to raise, are you ready for this......
1404.8 pounds of dry dog food!!!!!!
YES you are reading that right!!!!
Is that not AMAZING??? Well I sure think it is. That is downright FABULOUS!
Please read about the drive and the efforts that went into it-> Our Most Successful drive yet!
People had donated bowls and blankets along with the food but the bowls were kitty bowls or small resin dog bowls. Since their shelters do not take cats or are able to use them , he reached out to me to see if my shelter could use them. I said most definitely since we have a lot of kitties and smaller dogs those would be pawfect for. His mom put them in the mail for us and we received them yesterday. I couldn't wait to take them to my fur friends to show them what they got.
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| Don't even have them unpacked and kitties are checking them out. |
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| Sasha says she wants the big bowl. |
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| Yep, she says this one is hers. |
I sure appreciate McGrady and his foundation for #Pawingitforward to help my shelter. I hope to return the favor to him and be able to send something his foundation needs to help. This is what it is all about, people. Helping those less fortunate. McGrady and even I are lucky to be adopted and to be able to be spokesdogs is a pawtastic thing. We may not live in the same state or help the same shelters but we help animals.
Its not about fortune or fame but I will say the more fortune or fame that you have the more animals you can help. Its about doing something to give back.
Please follow McGrady on the following social media channels. Share his messages, donate to your local shelters in his name or donate to his foundation. Every click, every like, makes a difference in a shelter pets life.
Please show your support for his mission. Shelter pets in North Carolina count on it.
And hopefully in October...
Ma will be kissing him once again
This is how the process should work in animal rescue. It's a partnership to help homeless pets everywhere. Too often shelters and rescue groups don't work together. One city shelter in the Midwest uses this partnership every week to save the last day cats and dogs. The shelter contacts every rescue group to let them know which types of pets are at-risk and the groups take custody of the pets. It's a win-win for all.
ReplyDeleteI agree. My shelter tries to pull from area shelters to save lives. It all depends on how many adoptions that we have.
DeleteThank you for stopping by!
Mum and I are amazed at the work this foundation does. WOW Carma - it's amazing. It reminds us that all is not darkness in the world is it?
ReplyDeleteHarvey
All it took was someone who seen what the need was and started the ball rolling. The hard work his mom and her friends put in to it to get where they are today , should show people that it can be done. All it takes is the courage to start. I am so proud of them and I love watching the grow bigger and bigger and doing things that never thought could be done. I am proud to call him my friend.
DeleteYou and your furiends do some really pawmazing work, Carma!
ReplyDeleteWay to be awesome Carma & McGrady! You are both true heroes!
ReplyDeleteThat's a great story Carma. I have a friend in NC and she too is working on ways to help the animals there.
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