Helping Paws International brings pet-assisted therapy to the people who need it

Helping Paws International is another group that is new to Spring Fling and we are so excited to have them! They hope to meet interested volunteers and their pets who want to join them as therapy animals teams, reading assistance animals, and special needs interventions dogs.

This group is an all volunteer non-profit, consisting of people and their service and therapy animals, that brings pet therapy to a wide range of people who need it. They originally formed in 2000, a group of greyhound owners who were inspired by the gentle and loving temperaments of their rescued greyhounds. Helping Paws International is mostly comprised of greyhounds and their people but they accept all types of dogs over one year of age with the correct temperament for this work.

"Our purpose is to assist healthcare as well as other facilities and individuals to improve the quality of life for patients and staff by providing therapeutic pet-human interaction.

Our goals: 1) Lift the hearts & spirits of those needing emotional support; 2) expand the minds & futures of children through literacy; 3) support a patient’s physical, speech, or occupational therapy goals; 4) promote the healing power of animals; 5) support & promote greyhound & pet rescue; 6) prove rescues have value & can contribute positively to their communities; 6) to provide service animals free of charge as a training program permits"

In addition to the traditional therapy work in healthcare facilities, Helping Paws International has a reading assistance program, for both children and for adults re-learning how to read and speak, and trains assistance dogs to perform tasks for individuals that need them.

Make sure to stop by their booth and say hi! You can keep up with Helping Paws International on their website and social media channels: Facebook (their general profile, the one for their therapy greyhounds) and Instagram.

Rainbow Bridge Hospice Rescue: Providing comfort and dignity to dogs at the end of their journey

For the second year in a row, we have Rainbow Bridge Hospice Rescue joining us at Spring Fling. This group, founded in may of 2022, focuses on dogs who need hospice care, those who are at the end of their lives and need support, love, and care for the time they have left.

Most of these dogs are suffering from expensive medical issues and while treatment options may exist, they can be too expensive for many people to afford. That leads the dogs to be surrendered to shelters, where they are often euthanized because of their condition. Shelters have very few resources and many animals to care for so in order to help as many pets as possible, they have to make hard decisions. Additionally, they may not have the ability to keep up with medication schedules or the rigorous care that some medical conditions require.

This is where Rainbow Bridge Hospice Rescue steps in. They take those dogs into their care and do what others are not able to, for as long as the dog remains comfortable. Many can have a good quality of life until their time comes to cross the rainbow bridge and that is exactly what they get at Rainbow Bridge Hospice Rescue. Occasionally, adopters are found who are willing and able to take on the care of these special-needs dogs, but for the most part, they will remain with Rainbow Bridge Hospice Rescue until they cross the bridge.

Founder, Terri, has always been drawn to the ones who need the most care, the ones with missing legs, deformed kidneys, no eyes, one eye, missing an ear, no teeth, heartworm positive, saved from Korean meat markets and similar situations. She and her husband have been helping dogs since 2011, when Terri first got Princess Reagan Marie, a shih-tzu that was rescued in extremely poor condition from a breeder who was arrested for the horrible conditions her dogs were kept in.

Chuck and Junior, pictured here, are two dogs in the rescue now. These brothers are estimated to be 7-8 years old and came into the rescue with a horrible skin infection. If you want to help these boys and others like them you can make a donation on the rescue's website.

You can follow their work and see the dogs in their care on Facebook and Instagram.

A cat haven in Pittsboro - The Goathouse Refuge

The Goathouse Refuge is another rescue group that has been joining us at Spring Fling for several years now and we are pleased to have them attending again this year! Their Spring Fling regular Julie, says that she loves the event and always enjoys seeing all the different non-profit groups and vendors, and of course, all the dogs!

Though the name brings farm animals to mind, Goathouse is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, no-kill animal sanctuary that is "dedicated to providing cage-free care for cats regardless of age, medical issues or disposition until a permanent loving adoptive home can be found." For those who may not be suited to life in a typical home, whether because of medical issues or feral cats who prefer to stick to their wild ways, Goathouse is their permanent home where they can live as they please and be loved and cared for just the way they are.

Founder, Siglinda Scarpa, established The Goathouse Refuge in 2006 and continues to be an avid supporter. You can see her pottery and other work in a gallery at the refuge. Additionally, they sell coffee and all proceeds go towards care of the cats!

As of 2022, The Goathouse Refuge is shifting their focus to bring attention and aid to several groups of cats that are more underserved and traditionally overlooked; those who are older, or semi-feral, or who have special needs. These cats do get adopted but much less frequently than young cats who are "easy" to care for. As a result, this population ranks among the highest portions of euthanized cats in our nations shelters.

"Consider the cats who have been faithful beloved companions for many years, only to be put out in the street or taken to a kill shelter when their humans can no longer care for them. Our goal will be to bring public awareness and sympathy to this group of cats, so that these animals receive the dignity and respect they have always deserved and so often have not received. We hope that this new focus as a place of last resort will change the discourse about and treatment of our elderly feline companions."

Of course, all the cats that currently call Goathouse home, even outside the populations of their new focus, will continue to live there and be cared for until they find an adoptive home. So if you are looking for a cat or two to complete your family, check out the cats at The Goathouse Refuge! You can stop by in person on Fridays by appointment, and Saturday & Sunday from 11:00am to 3:00pm.

Check them out on on their website, Facebook, and Instagram!