6303 Shady Shores Road

Corinth, Texas 76208

May 2, 2015
Cathy Bissell
Director of Corporate Affairs
2345 Walker Avenue NW
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49544
Subject: Request for Donation to Midwest Canine Rescue
Mrs. Bissell:
First I wanted to thank you for all the support that you give to the Animal Rescue Community. It is
evident that we share the same passion and that involves saving the lives of animals that dont have a
chance. The work and effort that you put into helping the Animal Rescue Community is tremendous and
I can only applaud you for that. The quote that you present upon your website, Everyone should
experience a shelter animal at some point and see how they change your life., is inspiring and truly
represents the reasoning behind why animal rescuers do what they do.
As presented by your foundation, Bissell Pet Foundation, several grants will be rewarded to reputable
rescue organizations that align with the qualifications that you desire. In response to the generous offer
of a grant to reputable rescue organizations, our rescue organization is presenting a proposal in order to
represent our qualifications and the need for a grant. Money is a critical component because it allows
for quality of care for rescued animals and gives an opportunity to save more dogs that are in the
shelter. I know that the welfare of the animals is a top priority to your organization and I hope that after
evaluating our organization that you are able to see that it is our top priority as well.
Due to the amount of dogs in shelters, our organization understands that not every dog can be saved,
but saving one more dogs life makes a difference.
If I can provide any additional information, please contact me at AshleyDedrick@my.unt.edu or (214)
709- 3839.

Thank you for your consideration,

Ashley Dedrick

Enclosure: Proposal

Non-Profit Rescue Organization Grant Proposal

Introduction
Midwest Canine Rescue is a non-profit rescue organization that focuses on rescuing dogs that
are on the euthanasia list at shelters nationwide. Once the dogs are rescued, they are placed in
volunteer foster homes where they receive exceptional veterinary care which includes
sterilization, microchip, and shots. Once they are cleared as completely healthy, then they are
adopted out to homes that are approved by all directors. The mission of the Midwest Canine
Rescue to rescue the dogs that have only minutes to spare, but deserve the chance to go to a
loving family. As solicited by the Bissell Pet Foundation, money is granted every year to the nonprofit rescue organizations that promote adoption, spay/neuter, microchipping, foster care,
safety net programs, and emergency relief. Midwest Canine rescue demonstrates all the above
and would utilize the grant money to be able to expand the rescue network. As of right now,
Midwest Canine Rescue spends countless hours trying to save the dogs that they can, but
money is needed to be able to support veterinary and food costs when a rescue is made. With
the money that the grant will provide by the Bissell Pet Foundation, Midwest Canine Rescue will
have the opportunity to spare more lives that couldnt have been done before.

Problem Statement
The epidemic of overpopulation of animals in shelters is an issue. The root of the problem is the
lack of sterilization of pets. Approximately 10 percent of the animals that enter the shelter have
been spayed or neutered. Due to the fact that people are not spaying or neutering their pets,
many are reproducing and have led to the overpopulation. Five to seven million pets will enter
the shelter every year, and approximately half of them will be euthanized. The reality of
overpopulation is saddening and that is why is important to have rescue groups that can save
the dogs that are on death row and spay or neuter them. Overpopulation is an evident issue
and this leads to various breeds of dogs that are somewhat stereotyped. Many dogs that are on
the euthanasia list have not been adopted because they are scared or have vet bills, and that
can all be solved with the foster care and funding to provide veterinary care. Rescue groups
that are non-profit run off of personal income and donations that come from fundraisers, so it
important that rescue groups have the proper money to fund the dogs that are in need. Pulling
a dog from a shelter is associated with a fee that usually ranges from $10 to $100. Since only
10 percent of animals are spayed or neutered in the shelters, 90 percent of the dogs that are

rescued by rescue groups need to be spayed or neutered still. Some dogs have medical issues
such as heartworms, kennel cough, or parvovirus and that all leads to veterinary costs. Once
the dog is in foster care, food and heartworm medication must be provided for the dog until
the dog is adopted. Midwest Canine Rescue even makes it a priority to send dog food of very
high quality along with dog toys because the welfare of the dogs is of utmost importance.

Figure 1: The picture above is a visual representation on the effects of dog overpopulation.

BEAR
Any Lab owner would have loved to meet Bear, a regal, graceful and enduringly loyal friend.
Unfortunately, many dark haired pets are overlooked just like he was because they are
considered too ordinary. Known as Black Dog Syndrome, this shelter phenomenon leads to

an increased length of stay for dark colored animals. Sadly, many great pets are left waiting
in the kennels simply because of their color, even though they make just as wonderful
companions as their colorful counterparts.
This is an example of one of our latest rescues and shows how costs can add up in dog rescue:

The Story of Marley and Me

In September of 2014, this picture was presented across the social media site, Facebook.

This was Marley with two of her three puppies that she had from her litter. Marley and her
puppies were set to be euthanized because a rescue group would not step up and rescue her
and her puppies. Many rescue groups have a tendency to save puppies and leave the mom in
the shelter because they are less adoptable. Midwest Canine Rescue fell in love with the whole
family and made a point to rescue the mom of the puppies as well. Marley was severely
malnourished from feeding her puppies, had tapeworms, needed basic shots, and had
obviously not been spayed. She was also very scared and nervous around human beings and
that led to the lack of rescue. Her puppies were all sick with kennel cough at the age of three
weeks old and were also infested with many types of worms that made them anemic. With only
hours to spare, Midwest Canine Rescue saw the post of the mother and her puppies and found
a foster for them. Despite the veterinary costs, Midwest Canine Rescue made the commitment
to this family that they would take care of them. One of the puppies, Ky, ended up with severe
pneumonia due to kennel cough and had to be put under an oxygen tent in order to facilitate
breathing.

Figure 2: Ky when he was only three weeks old.

After only a few weeks, Marley gained weight and the puppies improved significantly. Marley learned
how to approach humans without being in fear and the puppies started to show off their personalities.

Figure 3: Harlow

Figure 4: Marley and Ziggy

Figure 5: Ky

Although the veterinary costs were significant and totaled approximately $500, all of the dogs
were adopted to wonderful families in a completely healthy state. In the picture below you can
see that the puppies were socialized and each life was truly spared from being euthanized.

Proposed Solution
Recognizing the problem is easy, but solving the problem can prove to be more difficult. It is
obvious that the abundance of animals in shelters across the nations is the ultimate problem. I
propose that any money that is granted will be utilized in the name of Midwest Canine Rescue
to rescue dogs that are on the euthanasia list. The funding will contribute to the following
things:

Pulling Dogs that are at risk of Euthanasia

Fees typically range from $10 to $100 to release a dog to a rescue group.
Transport Fees that will result from pulling the dog.

Spay/Neuter

Low-cost spay/neuter typically cost $25.

Spay/Neuter in the veterinary office typically cost around $80 or more.
Blood-work is done along with spay/neuter, which costs $65.
Pain medications cost $25.
Cone of Shame is approximately $25 depending on size of the dog.

Microchip
Costs range between $25 and $45.
Microchips are very important because they increase the chance of finding an animal if
they happen to be lost. Our rescue group ensures that each and every animal receives a
microchip, so that in the incident that they get lost they will not end up in a shelter on
the euthanasia list.

Figure 6: This is an example of the costs of a typical neuter and microchip. As you can see, the costs
total $293.50. The costs can add up when blood-work and pain medications are administered. This
does not include the cone of shame, which is also another $25.

Other Medical Costs

If the dog is malnourished, then Nutri-Cal is ordered on top of quality food to promote
weight gain.

 If the dog has Parvovirus, then medical costs can be over $1000 and the survival rate is
unlikely.
If the dog has kennel cough, then antibiotics will need to be prescribed and the costs
can be over $100.

Foster Care
While the dog is in foster care, quality dog food is provided and the costs exceed
$40.
Toys are provided so that the foster can entertain and socialize the dogs.

Transport
The dog may need to be transported if the dog is adopted out of state, so transport
fees cost money.
Highways Heroes is one of the organizations that Midwest Canine Rescue utilizes to
transport dogs.

Emergency Relief
Costs incur when having to travel to areas that an emergency occurred.
Dogs that are in need have to be fed and that results in costs.

In the three following pictures, a

tornado struck in Illinois and the
director of Midwest Canine Rescue
aided in rescue emergency relief
efforts.

With the funding provided by the grant, all aspects of rescue will helped so that the dogs that
are in need can live a better life. Dogs that are on death row will have a chance and the funding
will allow for more dogs to be rescued. The money that will result from the grant will aid in
rescuing dogs, spaying and neutering dogs, microchipping dogs, medical costs, foster care, and
emergency relief.
Every dollar is significant to the rescue because it contributes to another life that can be saved.
Without funding, the rescue cannot continue to rescue dogs.

Qualifications
Midwest Canine Rescue is licensed in the State of Iowa as a rescue organization. With the
501(c) 3 status, Midwest Canine Rescue is able to pre-order microchip syringes that are
automatically registered to our organization. Each person that is interested in adopting an

animal from Midwest Canine Rescue must fill out an in depth application along with a homecheck. Below is an example of an application that a potential adopter would have to fill out.

Once an animal is adopted, a spay/neuter contract along with an adoption contract is signed by
the adopter. In the event that someone cannot keep the dog anymore for any reason, Midwest
Canine Rescue always requires that the person return the dog to the rescue not a shelter.
If an individual decides that they are interested in fostering a dog, Midwest Canine Rescue
requires the individual to fill out an in-depth foster application in order to screen possible foster
dog parents. An example of an application is provided below:

Along with ensuring that all adopters and fosters are suitable for the dogs, Midwest Canine
Rescue has begun a program to start training the dogs. Under the supervision of one the
directors, the fosters are now learning how to train the dogs how to pass the Good Canine
Citizen Test. The Good Canine Citizen Test consists of certification program that teaches the dog
how to greet, sit, walk well, lie down, behave well in public settings, does not respond to
distractions, and allows handler to groom them without troubles. This training prepares the dog
for a new home environment or service dog training.
Midwest Canine Rescue has also recently partnered with another non-profit organization that
specializes in training dogs that eventually are paired with veterans that suffer from PostTraumatic Stress Syndrome. The non-profit organization is called Healing Paws for Heroes and
the director of the organization is a veteran herself. Midwest Canine Rescue helps by rescuing
the dog and bringing them to a healthy state and sending them through the Canine Good
Citizen Test. Once they have passed the Canine Good Citizen Test, the dog is transported to

Healing Paws for Heroes to continue training. Healing Paws for Heroes donates the dog for free
to the qualified veteran to help with the Post Traumatic Stress.

Figure 7: In the picture above is Cherish the Labrador retriever/ Shepherd Mix. Cherish was an owner
surrender to the Grand Prairie Animal Shelter in January of 2015. The reason why she was surrendered
to the shelter by her owners is unknown. Cherish was on the list to be euthanized because she was
scared. It is not unusual for a dog to be scared in the shelter, because the environment is not favorable.
Cherish was rescued by Midwest Canine Rescue and she became the first dog that went into service dog
training. She was very good at training and in the picture above she has her service

Testimonials
With almost every adoption from Midwest Canine Rescue, the adopter typically presents a
testimonial about the satisfaction of our rescue group. Below are testimonials from previous
adopters.

Figure 8: Holli with her new family.

Dear Midwest Canine Rescue, I would like to thank you for all you have done to help bring
Luna, now Holli, to our home! You were all great to work with, from our first conversation. Later
that night you graciously took the time by going into great detail online and by phone to help
you get to know us as well as our love of German Shepherds with Nathan and Rex, Luna's
foster/handler. After a home visit approval, Nathan and Jamie worked hard to determine how to
get Luna from IL to CO. On travel day, you all made us feel a part of the journey as volunteer
drivers picked up Luna, and met at various locations. We saw pictures of each transfer and even
videos. We were on Facebook Messenger and were able to communicate with everyone who
participated in the homecoming trip. Once we were home, you all checked in us regularly to
make sure that Luna/Holli was meshing into our family. Even with an emergency visit to the vet
with Holli, you all got on Messenger and you helped encourage and give us advice for our girl
who luckily only had an episode of nervous digestive system. With some suggestions on a
different approach to obedience training, we all changed and life was much easier as she
learned house rules and we understood how Holli learns and loves. Holli has been with us for
almost two months and each week we see a major change in her. In the past two weeks we can
see that she really feels a part of our family has accepted us as her pack! We can't thank you
enough for saving Luna from a shelter!! She's full of life and is so intelligent. It's hard to believe
that someone surrendered her. If not for your organization, I shudder to think what would have
happened to her. Nathan, Rex, Kim, Jamie, and the rest of the team at Midwest Canine Rescue-your passion and love for saving German Shepherds show in all you do!! Thank you so much!!
We love our new member of our family as well.
Regards, Dick and Kathy Lovenburg Libbi

Figure 9: This is a picture that was sent by Mayas adopters.

Dear Midwest Canine Rescue, Stephanie and I cannot ever thank you enough for bringing Maya
into our lives. She is a smart intelligent puppy and is a great fit into our lifestyle. We can
honestly say this is the calmest puppy we have ever rescued. She is beautiful and playful. She
loves the other dogs we have in the house and she is always right where we are. She is a
blessing and we are extremely grateful to have discovered your rescue. To any future people
looking to adopt, Midwest Canine Rescue is the place to do it through. The adoption process
was seamless and the travel arrangements were spectacular. Maya had a splendid journey in
order to get to us and we will definitely be using this rescue again in the near future. We were
very pleased and they are very professional. The rescue has a great group of volunteers that
care and want nothing but the best for your new loved one. We have and will continue to
recommend Midwest Canine Rescue. Thank you so much for making our family grow by one
beautiful and loving puppy. Love, Taylor Halm

I first saw Zoe (Tiger) on Facebook on in a high kill

shelter in Texas and fell in love. Thanks to Midwest
Canine Rescue she was saved. I contacted them
immediately and filled out my adoption application. I
had a wonderful experience adopting from them. Zoe is the perfect fit in my family. Her big
sister, Reagan adores her as much as I do. Thank you Midwest Canine for allowing this little girl
in our lives. Kim Borum
Figure 10: Zoe (left) with her big sister
Reagan (right).

Budget
The cost of each aspect of rescue is important and displayed below is the approximate
distribution of funding if the grant is initiated.

Procedure

Average Distribution of Cost

Spay/Neuter
Microchipping
Foster Care
Service Dog Training
Emergency Relief
Pulling Dog
Other Vet Costs

$50
$25
$50
$10
$50
$50
$100

Total Costs

$285

Figure 11: The picture above demonstrates the costs of rescue and where donations
ultimately go. Donating to a rescue group allows for the ability to save more lives.

Since the Bissell Pet Foundation rewards from $1,000 to $10,000, our rescue group would be
able to save on average thirty-five more dogs than we would be able to do before. Saving
thirty-five more lives is significant within the rescue community.

Conclusion
Midwest Canine Rescue is dedicated to the rescue of dogs across the United States and it is our
pleasure to present a grant proposal in order to have the opportunity to rescue even more
dogs. As presented, rescuing dogs that are in need of rescue is the true passion of all
individuals within our organization. Midwest Canine Rescue is committed to utilizing every
dollar that results from donation to rescuing dogs in need. There are multitudes of animals that
are on the euthanasia list and even the slightest amount of donation is helpful. Every dollar
counts and even a donation as little as $10 is helpful. I appreciate the opportunity to apply for a
grant that could possibly aide in saving multiple lives. The Bissell Pet Foundation is an amazing
organization and on the behalf of Midwest Canine Rescue, we are honored to be considered for

a grant. The grant is beneficial to all aspects of our rescue and would additionally help save
dogs in the local shelters. Saving each dog allows for relief of overpopulation from the shelters
and contributes to the improvement of the local community. Educating the community is
significant and the value of rescuing animals is absolutely priceless. We are fortunate to be able
to work with your organization and present a proposal that could contribute to improvement of
the welfare of dogs across the United States. If you have any questions in regards to the
proposal or the qualifications of our organization, please contact me at
AshleyDedrick@my.unt.edu. Our organization is looking forward to the decision on the grant
proposal.

References
Source 1: Menken, Nathan. "Testimonials." Midwest Canine Rescue. Nathan Menken, n.d. Web.
4 Apr. 2015.
Source 2: Menken, Nathan. "Welcome to Midwest Canine Rescue." Midwest Canine Rescue.
Nathan Menken, n.d. Web. 4 Apr. 2015.
Source 3: "Working toward a Day When All Pets Have a Home." BISSELL Pet Foundation. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2015.
Source 4: "Dog Flipping." Conscious Companion. N.p., 28 Aug. 2013. Web. 04 Apr. 2015.
Source 5: "Education." BISSELL Pet Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2015.
Source 6: "Spay or Neuter Your Pet." Arizona Humane Society, n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2015.