DAWG Saving Dogs (and Other Pets) for 20 Years, Now It's Time to Celebrate

From the city of Mission Viejo:

The Dedicated Animal Welfare Group, the nonprofit organization of the Mission Viejo Animal Services Center, is gearing up for the center’s 20th anniversary celebration.

DAWG got its start as a nonprofit 501c3 charitable organization in 1995. Since then, the group has been dedicated to providing care for the orphaned animals at the Mission Viejo Animal Services Center. In addition to this city of roughly 100,000, the facility serves Laguna Niguel and Aliso Viejo.

Since the center’s inception two decades ago, the animal services center and DAWG have helped to save 40,000 animals – many of those pets received medical care paid for by DAWG.

“From dental care to critical care, no pet has gone without life-saving medical care thanks to the generosity of our pet-loving community,” said Assistant City Manager Keith Rattay.

DAWG’s roots in this city run deep. The examples of the organization’s and Mission Viejo Animal Services Center’s impact on the community are plentiful.

In 2005, the organization helped nine adult dogs and five pups that were victims of Hurricane Katrina. The dogs arrived to the Mission Viejo Animal Services Center frail and scared. DAWG paid for their initial care, but because of local veterinarian Dr. Edgar Folkers’ commitment to shelter animals and outstanding generosity of $10,000, the animals were healthy and ready for adoption within two months.

Three years later, 28 dachshunds taken from a single home received life-saving care from DAWG. Once healed, the dogs all went to forever homes.

Because of DAWG, the animal services center and a local foster mom, 67 puppies were rescued from Merced between 2005 and 2008.

A decade ago, DAWG and the Mission Viejo Animal Services Center launched the city’s rescue program to save animals from overcrowded shelters. The program has also become a fund-raising source for the facility, since every rescued dog is cared for through donations to DAWG.

Animals at the center benefit from funds collected when rescue dogs are adopted. In fact, rescue dogs brought in more than $11,000 for their orphaned K9 shelter mates last year alone. The community also benefited by having more dogs to select from when searching for new family members to adopt.

Most recently in June, DAWG raised more than $15,000 for homeless animals in the area through its 20th DAWG Walk and Pet Faire.

DAWG and the Mission Viejo Animal Services Center will celebrate their outstanding efforts of saving countless animal lives during the center’s 20th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, Nov. 1.

The celebration, which takes place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 28095 Hillcrest, includes a special appearance by Jackson Galaxy, host and executive producer of Animal Planet’s hit show “My Cat from Hell,” educational booths, children’s activities, wildlife education, safety demonstrations, food trucks and more. While the fun-filled event celebrates local animals, guests are asked to leave their pets at home.

For more information, visit http://www.cmvas.org or call 949-470-3045.