Haggen Lends a Hand
Posted on: August 15th, 2017 @ 8:52 am, By
Kim Leary
Across the tracks, on any given day, you’ll likely see Homeward Pet’s dog walkers strolling by the friendly neighborhood Haggen in bright yellow vests with a canine in tow. This is the same Haggen whose store is always busy and bustling with families, seniors and business professionals looking for a quick lunch option or ingredients for a gourmet meal.
The same Haggen that will draw you in with smells of summertime flowers and Mercury’s coffee, and it is the same Haggen that is touching the lives of animals in need by sharing Homeward Pet’s mission with the Woodinville community.
This last June, Homeward Pet received a call from Haggen sharing that we had been selected as their shelter of choice for a weeklong “Paws for the Cause” campaign. For seven days, every Haggen in Western Washington would raise donations for a local animal shelter of their choosing, and needless to say, we were thrilled to be part of this exciting fundraiser.
June 14 through June 20, Haggen employees encouraged shoppers to give to the animals of Homeward Pet with fierce determination and by the end, more than $4,700 was raised.
Haggen’s Store Manager, Chris, was one of the leading founders of “Paws for the Cause,” back when it launched in Bellingham, several years ago. He was thrilled to introduce it to Woodinville and is more than impressed with its success.
“To be able to raise this amount of money in our first year, I am quite frankly overwhelmed. Animals are something I am passionate about. I feel like I was part of starting this and it’s something we will continue to do every year. I am a dog person, I have a soft spot in my heart for dogs and I want to make sure we continue to help all homeless pets out,” Chris shares.
Not only did the Woodinville Haggen collect the most money out of all participating stores but two of its dedicated cashiers, Denise and France, championed the campaign, raising more than $2,000 for the cats and dogs in our care.
“We have an animal-loving community here. Many customers knew who Homeward Pet was and a lot have gotten their animals from you. We already have people coming back and asking when we will do it again,” France shares.
Denise and France tell us many shoppers donated an upwards of $50 and in general, people just gave. “I always asked customers if they would round up and once they heard the word ‘pet’ they would make a donation,” France says.
As the saying goes, little by little adds up to a lot and we are amazed that our hometown was able to come together and collectively raise more than $4,700 for the homeless animals in our care, all in just seven days.
We are so proud and appreciative to be part of such a generous and passionate community. Thank you to Haggen and to all of our local Homeward Pet supporters who participated in the “Paws for the Cause” campaign.
To learn more about how you can make a difference for homeless animals in our care, please click here.
To learn more about our partner, Haggen visit their website today.
Homeward Pet Executive Director, Gary Rubin with Kathy, Haggen Demo Coordinator
