Giving to those who give

Selecting the perfect gift is tough. When I really stop to think about it, it is so tough because we are so fortunate to have life’s necessities and pleasures already in our lives. A great way to gift is by donating in someone’s honor to a cause that either you or your recipient feels strongly about. I thought I would share some wonderful organizations with incredible missions.

Santa Clarita, CA
Mission: To rescue, rehabilitate and give sanctuary to abused animals. Through the interaction with our animals children learn reverence for all life.

The Gentle Barn is home to horses, donkeys, cows, pigs, sheep, goats, turkeys, chickens, llamas, dogs, and cats that have all been rescued from severe abuse. They have been rehabilitated and regained their trust in humankind by realizing that they are now loved, and their abuse is over. I love this quote, “We believe that everyone deserves a chance at life, regardless if they are blind, crippled, deformed, sick, wounded, or just old. At The Gentle Barn, the animals leave when they are done, not when someone is done with them!” The Gentle Barn offers a unique 10-month peace enhancement therapy program that connects rescued and rehabilitated farm animals with inner-city, at-risk, and special-needs kids who can relate to the animals’ histories of abuse, enabling them to find healing of their own.

Make sure to visit The Gentle Barn website and browse around. They have a variety of ways to donate. What an honor it is to be able to support a cause as great as this.

Lebanon, TN
Mission: New Leash On Life is dedicated to improving the welfare of companion animals in our community through shelter, placement, spay/neuter, education and awareness.

The New Leash On Life family of programs includes:
Almost Home – Cat and Dog Adoption Center located in Lebanon, TN
Fix for Life – Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Clinic
The Spay Station – Mobile Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Clinic
Snip & Tip – Tip/Neuter/Return program for feral cat populations

Our Friends at New Leash On Life are simply wonderful. The organization was hit hard by the 2010 Nashville Floods, let’s support them as they continue to move ahead with their spay/neuter initiatives and no-kill shelter!  NLOL accepts monetary donations for The Angel Fund (cat and dog medical treatment fund) and The Guardian Gild (various donation levels available) and also has a Wish List of much needed items.

We hope you enjoy the holidays!

Cassie is the studio manager for Adrian Hitt Photography. She keeps things running smoothly behind the scenes and frequents the blog often with her tips on what’s going on in the dog world. In addition to her work here, Cassie freelances in the local music scene, volunteers with animal rescues and enjoys being outside with her pups. She lives in Nashville and is the proud parent of Jeffery, Ittey and Banjo – two rescue dogs and one awesome orange cat!