"Dine to be Kind" to benefit Animal Compassion Network's spay and neuter program

On Tuesday, February 26th, more than 40 area restaurants will be contributing 15% of their day’s proceeds to Animal Compassion Network’s highly successful spay and neuter assistance program. The commemorative Tenth Annual Dine to Be Kind will take place on National Spay Day as part of a national campaign to promote the life-saving benefits of spay and neuter programs for dogs and cats.

Proceeds from Dine to be Kind will benefit ACN’s Betty Fund Spay/Neuter Program which was established in 2000 in honor of a two-year-old stray Golden Retriever mix. Betty gave birth to 18 puppies in just one year. It wasn't until Animal Compassion Network became involved that this distressing cycle stopped. Betty's last litter of eight pups was rescued from the mud underneath a trailer and found forever homes through ACN. Betty was also rescued, spayed, and placed with a loving family. The cost of this one rescue alone was staggering; hundreds of dollars were spent in medical expenses, food, and care for the dog and her eight pups. In response, ACN started the Betty Fund spay/neuter voucher program designed to help end the euthanasia of healthy animals by stopping pet overpopulation at its source. The Betty Fund pays all or most of the entire cost of the spay/neuter surgery for pets belonging to families in need. Since the program began, ACN has assisted in the spaying or neutering of more than 12,000 Western North Carolina cats and dogs.

This year’s fundraiser is more crucial than ever for Animal Compassion Network’s Betty Fund Spay/Neuter Program to be able to continue offering financial assistance to the community. In 2012 ACN’s Companion Animal Transport Program pulled over 500 unwanted, homeless dogs, puppies and kittens from area shelters where there is little hope and transported them from WNC to safe-for-life organizations in northern states where there are lines of people waiting to adopt a rescued pet. One of the most poignant facts surrounding the high demand in northern states for adoptable pets is due to the success of long standing spay and neuter programs in those areas. Instead of closing their doors and patting themselves on the back for a job well done, these shelters are reaching out to areas where programs are striving to achieve the same success: No More Homeless Pets. In 2012 Animal Compassion Network provided assistance for the spaying and neutering of over 1285 cats and dogs. This record breaking number shows not only the growing success of the spay/neuter program and changing attitudes toward responsible pet guardianship, but also the great need in the community for financial assistance to meet these goals and save lives.

Local restaurants are very supportive of “Dine to be Kind” and look forward to helping a very important community fundraiser.  In addition to being open for dinner, many restaurants are also open for breakfast and lunch, so there are plenty of opportunities to dine to be kind. In fact, many workplaces are encouraged to order takeout for lunch on National Spay Day, because to-go orders also help animals in need!