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Canine Community Outreach - Closing the gap between affordable spay/neuter and the community

Updated: Apr 16

Canine Community Outreach of North Carolina Logo Banner

Canine Community Outreach of North Carolina has joined us for Spring Fling multiple times in the past, and we are so excited to have them again this year! This team works hard to close the gap between affordable spay/neuter and their community through education.


Co-founders Colleen and Kate share a lifelong passion for pets, especially rescue dogs. They met in 2019, and the rest is history! While they love rescuing, their real goal is to reduce pet overpopulation and lessen the number of pets in need of rescue in the first place.


Canine Community Outreach of NC is dedicated to improving the lives of both dogs and their humans by promoting and enabling spay/neuter services. Through education and accessible resources, they empower pet owners to make responsible choices, ultimately reducing the number of homeless dogs in North Carolina.


In addition to raising awareness of the need to spay and neuter and providing funds for special cases and assistance with spay/neuter costs, their Sasha-Bean Memorial Fund helps one organization each year in their work to stop pet overpopulation.



Why spay or neuter your pet?

Sasha-Bean and Cofounder Colleen
Sasha-Bean and Cofounder Colleen

  • It reduces euthanasia! Fewer unwanted litters mean less overcrowding at animal shelters and less unnecessary euthanasia.


  • It can help behavior issues! Some negative behaviors related to the mating instinct, like roaming or aggression, can be reduced after spay or neuter


  • It's cost-effective! It can be less expensive to have your dog spayed or neutered vs. birthing and raising a litter of puppies.



Hall of Dogs

(pups helped by Canine Community Outreach)




You can learn more about their work on their website and follow them on their Facebook and Instagram pages to keep up with all their events!


Visit the Canine Community Outreach of NC booth at Spring Fling to check out their collection of bumper stickers, water bottle stickers, and handmade friendship bracelets. PLUS, don’t miss their friendship bracelet station, where you can create your very own!!



Visit Canine Community Outreach of North Carolina at

Unleashed's 13th Annual Spring Fling Dog & Cat Fundraiser

Sunday, April 26, 2026

12-6 pm

Koka Booth Amphitheatre


Stay up to date on all things Spring Fling 2026:


 
 
 

Doxie by Proxy - Short on Legs, Long on Moxie!

  • Writer: Amy
    Amy
  • Apr 9
  • 2 min read
Doxie by Proxy Logo Banner

Doxie By Proxy is a foster home-based rescue that is dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming dachshunds and dachshund mixes in North Carolina. Back again for Spring Fling 2026, they always enjoy meeting new faces and have successfully matched many adorable dachshunds and "doxie's by proxy" with fosters and adopters at this event.


Doxie by Proxie Founder and President, Alison Schwartz holding her dachshund mix
Alison Schwartz, Founder and President

This dachshund rescue group was formed in January of 2019 out of a passion for both rescue and the dachshund breed. The hardworking rescuers involved with Doxie by Proxy have over 50 years of combined rescue experience and work tirelessly to help dachshunds, focusing their efforts on dogs in North Carolina.


Once a dog is taken in, they are a part of Doxie by Proxy for life! That means that no matter what, that dog has a place with them if they need it. They prioritize helping dachshunds in shelters since they are at the highest risk but will also accept owner surrenders if they have foster homes available.


"Many fellow rescuers often tease Alison for taking heavily mixed “short legged, long bodied” dogs from the shelter that she refers to as “doxie’s by proxy” — thereby naming her organization after her known habit for being a sucker for some dogs in need that are not necessarily her breed but all the same in need of rescue!"

Whenever possible, Doxie by Proxy tries to help owners work through the issues that are leading them to consider surrendering their pet. They have plenty of experience to draw on and encourage people to reach out to a trainer when needed in an effort to keep pets in loving homes and prevent them from coming into rescue.


Stop by their booth and say hello while you browse through their koozies and t-shirts!


You can also keep up with Doxie by Proxy on their website and their social media channels: Facebook and Instagram.


ADOPT ME from Doxie by Proxy!

Currently available doxies (as of 4/7/26)

From left to right and top to bottom, meet Elsa, Milo, Gigi, and Rosie!


Visit Doxie by Proxy at

Sunday, April 26, 2026

12-6 pm

Koka Booth Amphitheatre


Stay up to date on all things Spring Fling 2026:

 
 
 

Best Friend Pet Adoptions - Helping you find your new Best Friend since 1998

Carolina Animal Network Blog

Best Friend Pet Adoption (BFPA) actually participated in Spring Fling once many years ago. However, since their current core team wasn't around back then, they said it definitely feels like their first time. Best Friend Pet Adoption (BFPA) is an all-breed, all-foster (no physical shelter), dog and cat rescue organization, based in the Triangle. Since their establishment in 1998, BFPA has rescued and placed over 3,800 cats and dogs into their forever homes.


"Our Mission is to give all rescued animals a chance to find their forever home, no matter their medical condition."
BFPA dog

"BFPA started back in 1998 when two local volunteers decided to build a new rescue here in the Triangle. Over the last 25 years, we’ve developed partnerships with pet shops, vets and trainers that have allowed us to keep our costs low. We’ve also grown into an extended family of over 150 core volunteers. We really value the fact that many people stick with us through all of life's milestones—often volunteers take a break for college or family and then come back to us years later in a new role.


Fosters turn into volunteers, and volunteers recruit their friends and neighbors. At the same time, we’re constantly welcoming new faces into the group. Whether someone is a veteran foster or a brand-new volunteer, we’re all about supporting one another and learning together how to best help the animals in our care.


Over the last three years, we’ve seen our cat adoptions climb to an average of 140 a year—a big jump from our previous average of 112. While finding 'forever homes' for dogs has become a bit more challenging lately (a trend many rescues are feeling), we’re still successfully placing an average of 77 dogs annually.


Beyond adoptions, we’ve stayed committed to pulling animals from under-resourced shelters and funding some tougher special-needs cases that require extra care. We also ramped up our TNVR (Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return) efforts thanks to some generous local grants and donations. It’s definitely a case of 'herding cats' sometimes, but those small victories make every bit of the work worth it!"


Meet Frannie!

(Blue brindle beauty. Full-body “giggle” wag. Professional sunbather. Available as of 4/6/26)


Frannie is a gentle-natured 3.5-year-old blue brindle Pittie (45–50 lbs.) with a gentle heart and a whole lot of personality. She loves being with her people and will greet you with the silliest, happiest full-body wag you’ve ever seen. Equal parts playful and chill, she’s just as happy zooming around the yard as she is lounging on the couch with a bone.


Here’s what makes Frannie (extra) special:

  •  Crate trained + house trained

  •  Food & toy motivated (and eager to learn!)

  •  Great leash manners

  •  Moderate energy — loves fetch, yard time, and sunbathing


She had an unstable start to life and can be a little unsure at times, but with treats, patience, and sweet talk, she blossoms quickly. An experienced owner who can continue building her confidence would help her shine. If you’re looking for a loyal, affectionate companion with just the right mix of playful and peaceful, Frannie might be your girl. Her full bio can be found here on BFPA's adoptable dogs page!


Keep up with Best Friend Pet Adoption on their website and their social media channels, Facebook and Instagram.


BFPA tells us that some of their long-time fosters have been encouraging them to join Spring Fling for a couple of years after having such a great experience in the past. BFPA unfortunately had a scheduling conflict last year, but they (and we!!) are glad the timing worked out this time around. Don't miss meeting them and their adoptable pups at Spring Fling 2026!


Unleashed's 13th Annual Spring Fling Dog & Cat Fundraiser!

Sunday, April 26, 2026

12-6 pm

Koka Booth Amphitheatre


Stay up to date on all things Spring Fling 2026:

 
 
 
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