When the shoe fits

As some of you may be aware, for the month of December we are running a Buy One Give One campaign. This means that for every Bark Bag we send out (not just ordered!) in December we will also donate one to a dog in need.

Pretty awesome campaign huh?

I thought I would write this blog to give some insight into why we chose the particular charity we did and also why we have partnered with some pretty awesome suppliers for this campaign.

The Charity

Let’s be honest - there are a tonne of animal charities out there who all deserve a helping hand. A search on the Charities Register revealed that there were 1063 registered charities in New Zealand which operated in the sector “Care/Protection of Animals” and who listed beneficiaries as “animals”.

Trying to choose a charity to support was daunting but after much discussion we settled on our charity of choice - Chained Dog Awareness New Zealand.

There are many reasons we ended up choosing CDANZ. We wanted to work with a reasonably large charity that would have good reach and the need for the products we were looking to donate. We also wanted like-minded people to work with at the charity. We reached out to a few charities and after some chats, CDANZ seemed like the best fit.

CDANZ’s vision is to end life chaining of dogs. Life chaining is when a dog is kept on a chain ²⁴⁄₇ and is provided little to no stimulation. These dogs are often underfed, poorly looked after and starved of the love and affection they deserve. CDANZ’s preference is to educate and offer help to the dog’s owner in order for the dog to continue living a better life with that family. However, if that is not possible they will rescue the dog.

Once the dog has been relinquished, the long road of rehabilitation and re-homing begins. These dogs have often lacked proper care and socialisation which can lead to behavioural issues. With patience, love and care these dogs will often become the most loyal and loving pets.

The Suppliers

We are lucky enough to work with some pretty awesome suppliers who in addition to producing high quality premium products for your pup, have generously agreed to support this campaign.

Alfapet

Alfapet are an Auckland based manufacturer of pet products. They have an incredibly wide range of natural pet products. For example, they don’t just offer beef liver but also offer alpaca, sheep, venison, goat and turkey liver as well as wallaby pluck (the lung, heart and liver). They develop these products with consultation from Massey University to make sure they are appropriate for our pups.

All of their product is sourced and made in New Zealand or sourced from Australia for kangaroo based products. Their products are primarily available through selected vets. Personally I have found them to be incredibly knowledgeable about dogs and nutritional requirements. The range is great for dogs who have food allergies or sensitivities.

Baskervilles

The hipster kids on the block - Baskervilles is an Auckland based outfit that produces organic handmade baked treats for your dog. Pretty new to the dog scene but upping the standards in baked treats. They use only the best human grade food. The only time I eat organic wholewheat flour is when I ‘test’ Snowy’s Baskervilles treats. Baskervilles produce the ‘block’ range exclusively for Bark Bag. The block shape enables owners to snap off size appropriate pieces for their dog similar to when we snap off pieces off a block of chocolate.

They don’t use any additional salt, sugar or preservatives (including preservatives disguised in the form of vitamins) in their product. As a result, their product has a shorter shelf life (best before dates are usually between 5 - 6 weeks from production although Zac from Baskervilles has actually eaten biscuits left in the pantry for 2 and ¹⁄₂ months and thought it tasted even better). They produce everything specifically to order meaning that pack of Baskervilles was produced just for you.

Omega Plus

Another new comer to the scene is Omega Plus. Omega Plus is a division of New Zealand King Salmon which has been providing us with sustainably farmed salmon from Marlborough Sounds for over 20 years.

In addition to providing us humans with delicious salmon fillets, the rest of the salmon such as the tails and fins is then freeze dried (to ensure no preservatives are required) into high quality treats for your dog. They have deliberately left more meat on the tails and fins as well to ensure your dog gets a healthy meaty treat. The eco-warrior side of me loves the no waste factor to this.

As well as being rich in omega-3 and omega-6, these treats feel like a luxury item for your pup as they are something a bit different. Currently these treats are only available through Bark Bag although we have no doubt they will start appearing in supermarkets all around the country soon. We think they’re onto a winner with their fins and tails!

The takeaway

CDANZ is different to the traditional animal rescue charity. While they do rescue animals in need, their main focus is trying to improve the lives of those that are chained up ²⁴⁄₇. This means weekly home visits by their (amazing) volunteers and a focus on providing education and support to the existing dog owner. Often those visits are the highlight of the pup’s week and it makes it a bit easier to leave if they can leave the pup with a treat or a toy.

So please support CDANZ either by buying a Bark Bag for your pup or donating to them directly (http://cdanz.org/donate/).

Even if CDANZ isn’t for you, there are 1062 other registered charities which help animals to consider. Let’s help spread some cheer.