All our little friends who need our help...

[Robby Amper]

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Everybody loves puppies. So nice. So cute.
But the old ones, the ill ones. Three legged, blind, deaf. Who loves them...?
Interestingly nearly no one.


Everybody's happy to be here. No one has to pay anything. No membership fee or other nonsense. You receive information and advice which is priceless. Again - everything for free. Now you can give back, something.


I created the Whip Basics Donation Campaign. We're going to collect money for animal shelters. To make sure that everything is correct and there's not the smallest doubt, I'd suggest to make Jonathan "Boss of the money". Why him...? Pretty simple. He works with dogs. All the time. He helps them. And doesn't only talk about helping them. I know Jonathan is an honest and loyal man. I trust in him absolutely.

Anyone against it? This would be the right place and time to say no.

How will it work? Jonathan will create an email account, we all can send our donations. He will post a list who donated how much. And - no - this list will be absolutely open. Not anonymous. Not on names nor on the donated money. I want it to be open to see for everyone! It'll be open to see even for guests.

After three weeks we make a cut. Why three weeks and not three month? Pretty simple. Who's not willing to donate, won't do it in three days or in three years. And Jonathan will send the donated money to a shelter he thinks they need it the most. Later on he'll post the donation receipt. If you know about a shelter that needs desperately help/money - tell him! We all have enough money to go out to dinner, to go to the cinema and so on. So everybody has at least a little bit of money to donate. Minimum donation will be 5.00 USD. Everything else is a bad joke.



And to make one thing clear to all. No one is forced to donate. But I want every active member in this forum to report, here! Just a few words. Something like "Okay, acknowledged". No big text. Because I will not accept lame excuses like "Oh, I didn't see that...!" Everybody will notice that new category. And everybody can read it. And I want everybody to confirm that he/she read and understood.

Please don't let me see that you're online or posting in different threads without reporting here. I'm aware that several folks in this forum avoid/ignore my threads. That's okay. I don't mind.

Here I do. Thank you.


Like I said - I can't force anyone to donate, sure. But I can force everybody to confirm that he/she noticed this campaign. And I will. Serious. This is not about my person. This is not about you. This is to help those who can't help themselves! If you can't donate - for what ever reason - I'll accept it without further questions. Perhaps next time. But if you're not interested in this campaign, because you think it's waste - you'll hear from me.

The only thing... Jonathan doesn't know anything about this. I'm going to inform him right now...

And you'll be informed when we start!






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[Bobbi Holyoak]

Good idea, Robby.

[Keanu Shimaoka]

I'm all for it.

[Tyler Blake]

Well done Robby!

[Guest]

It's a good cause. I'm in.

To be honest, the fully open "who donated what" list makes me feel a bit uncomfortable. But I understand that the reason for that feeling is stupid and irrelevant, so no worries.


- Pokkis

[Jonathan Lewis]

I'm for it. Handling the money feels a bit uncomfortable for me, but I'm willing for such a cause - heck, just the title "Boss of the money" makes it worthwhile.
Please, aside from donating if you can, take a look around your neighborhood, visit your local shelter, whatever makes sense to help you see where the need is, and communicate that here as well.

[Robby Amper]

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...Please, aside from donating if you can, take a look around your neighborhood, visit your local shelter, whatever makes sense to help you see where the need is, and communicate that here as well.

That's exactly the reason why I choose you.

Robby

[Jeff Roseborough]

A very worthy cause. Both of my family's dogs are shelter dogs. One is an Australian Shepherd mix and the other is a Husky mix. Both are loved members of the family.

I hate to see dogs suffer. Several weeks ago I was at a fast food place. A "homeless" guy was inside eating while his dog eared German Shepard whined outside in the cold. I promptly went to the neighborhood grocery store and bought a bag of food for it. I hate to see dogs neglected like that. I may not have much but I'll give my last few dollars to help a suffering dog.

Jeff

[Einar Stephenson]

A worthy cause indeed.

[Carl Feairs]

Got it.

[Lasse Carenvall]

Unfortunately my economy makes it difficult to donate, but I would like to comment on the cause, and how good it is.

I would like to pick up on Jonathan´s note, and remind that shelters do not only need funds, but also hands - hands, in the meaning of pratical help, time - and homes! Permanent homes as well as emergency homes and "transit" homes , they need a Place to stay until a permanent solution is found.

My wife is a veterinary nurse, so this is not only close to home for us, it is sometimes in our home. Occasionally a pet comes in at her job to be euthanized, a pet where there is really nothing wrong (the reason can be that the kids of the family have developed allergies, or something), or sometimes with problems that can be helped, given time and patience.

We don´t have the same system with shelters here in Sweden, but people do what they can. Over the years, a number of pets have come home to us. A few have stayed, others have moved on (for some it didn´t work out, but at least they got a chance). I could tell you stories about some of these pets that would bring tears from a stone.

So, think about it. Nobody can do everything and make a harsh world right single-handed - but everybody can do a little something, and when tose little somethings become many it makes a huge difference.

I´m also happy to say that this has rubbed off on both our sons. The younger son and his girlfriend took in two unwanted kittens, who are living a pampered Life. Our oldest and his girlfriend became an emergency home for two cats, one of which will stay and the other go to a new home.

So, this is a brillant initative!

[Robby Amper]

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If someone can't donate, I respect that and there will be no further questions. Really. Perhaps next time. Perhaps next year. All I want, is, that the members here take notice of what's going on. Not more. Last year around this time I had big financial problems myself. My mom was in hospital and needed treatment, the insurance didn't pay for. So my brother and I jumped in. It is absolutely no shame! Like I said - last year I would've been the one to say: "Sorry, I can't".

No worries at all.

Robby


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[Robert Gage]

Well done, Robby. I'm just waiting for the account to open!

(Someday I might share some of my silly dog poems....)

[Bobbi Holyoak]

Yes! Silly Dog poems, Please!

[Guest]

Roses are red,
Violets are blue.
I is dog,
derp derp drool.




- Pokkis

[Robert Gage]

OK, Bobbi, you asked for it!

Some of my silly dog poems feature a 'virtual' dog called Andreas Woofalottes. He is a Greek dog, a retired racing greyhound. His name must be pronounced 'An-DRAY-as Woof-a-LOT-eez' to scan properly. The original verse goes like this:

Andreas Woofalottes was lurking in his lair,
He felt a little hungry: he thought he’d like a pear.
‘But pears,’ said Woofalottes, ‘are not too common here.
Perhaps I’ll change my tactics, and find a glass of beer!’

There now! You'll think I'm barking! ('Barking' is British slang for 'mad'.)

Robby, I hope you don't think this 'lowers the tone'. I take your animal shelter appeal very seriously!

[Bobbi Holyoak]

Very good! Bravo!

[Terry Shaw]

Robby - Once more I applaud you sir. To be honest, I will try to donate. We're in 'that place'. Money is tight and some weeks we can't afford a week's worth of groceries. But I'll try to find $5 to set aside. I love dogs, always have. If you don't believe me you could ask any of the three pooches running all over the house. They've assured me they'd put in a good word on my behalf. Then again they may have said that just to get an extra treat...

~T.

[Robby Amper]

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A good joke every now and then is a good thing. I like the poems

Terry - really no problem! People who have something to give, should give. If money's tight - no problem, really! You know, I think it's good to remind people sometimes, that there are others - our animal friends - we are responsible for, too. I know that not everybody's able to donate. At the moment I'm in the lucky position that I can. Who knows... Perhaps next time I'll be the one who can't donate. Here we say: Never throw stones on people when you're sitting in a glass house". So I'm happy for every single Cent that goes to the shelters. And I keep my fingers crossed for those who can't. Everything will be in balance. I don't know, when. But I know that it'll be.

Robby

[Simon Martin]

Read and understood.
Simon