Each year, there comes a time when most public service organizations must do something they would rather not, especially during hard times. Today, it's our turn. We hate to ask. But we need help keeping the lights on in the doghouse!

Love Alone Can't Pay the Bills

Tripawds is my pawrent's full-time volunteer labor of love, but as you know, love alone can't pay the bills. All year long, we do our best to bring you Tripawd resources and support that can help your best friend.

Our primary funding for this unique and wonderful community is through the few cents we receive from purchases made through our Tripawds store and affiliate links.

But it is your ongoing generuos support that has allowed us to do things like:

• Upgrade Tripawds' web hosting account. We now have more consistent, robust website infrastructure and enough storage space to do things like allow everyone to create basic Tripawds Three Legged Dog Blogs.
• Pay for website technical support. Much of what makes Tripawds run is way over my Dad's head and without it, this site would be quite different and not nearly as interactive.
• Purchase Tripawds outreach materials to help spread the word. From posters we send to veterinary offices, to business cards mailed to members who request them, Tripawds' message is getting around.
• Donate to the Morris Animal Foundation's K9 Cancer Walks in Estes Park and Sacramento.
• Waive the return shipping cost of harnesses for Tripawds who didn't use them, because they didn't make it through amputation surgery.
• Conduct the first ever Tripawds Amputation and Cancer Care Survey, which helps provide more insights on the Tripawd lifestyle.

We would like to expand these efforts, but we need your help…

Click the ChipIn widget above to help us reach our goal with a quick and secure PayPal contribution.

For those pawrents who have sent us gifts recently, please don't feel obligated to help with this campaign. We'd love for others who haven't yet had the chance to get involved to extend a helping paw, if they can.

We're Barking Up Your Tree

We believe in being accountable, so for a full report on where the money goes, here's a link to a document showing a summary of our current expenses and future costs to increase our outreach efforts.

But, the bottom line is this:

Tripawds needs to raise $8,245 within the next three months!

This amount will help us cover our ongoing site maintenance costs and allow us to increase our public awareness efforts through:

• Website hosting, security and infrastructure improvements to keep things running smoothly
• Additional outreach materials for members and vet offices
• Exhibiting at a few dog events throughout the year to help raise awareness of the support Tripawds has to offer
• Supporting the Morris Animal Foundation and other canine cancer organizations, and more!

And while $8,245 still won't pay my pawrents any sort of salary, it will enable them to cover the basic costs of running Tripawds, while giving them time to chase down an income elsewhere, using their writing and graphic design talents.

Give $50 or more and you'll be entered into a drawing for an autographed copy of "Guardians of Being" by MUTTs creator and Tripawds friend, Patrick McDonnell!

This powerful book with words by Eckhart Tolle is a passionate, humorous, enlightening meditation on the power and grace that animals can bring into our daily lives, and we're sure you'll love it. Patrick signed the book for one lucky Tripawds contributor when we met him at the Tattered Cover in Denver.

Anything You Can Spare Will Help!

If you've read this far, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We hesitate to ask for help from our members, because we understand the financial burdens of paying for canine medical care. But the upside is, we only do it once a year.

Whatever you can give, even if it's just $5, will help keep the Tripawds Community up and running smoothly. We understand these are hard times for many, and we are so thankful for any amount you can give.

With much love,

Rene, Jim, Wyatt Ray & Spirit Jerry

PS: If – And that's a big IF – we were seeking a salary (of just $8.50 per hour) to maintain the Tripawds community, we would need to raise $24,752 with this campaign. Any support you can provide for our labor of love is sincerely appreciated.

Please help us reach our goal by clicking the ChipIn widget below to safely contribute with a secure PayPal contribution: