Paw-some!
October 29, 2019
If you’ve ever been to a meeting at Morey’s Piers, you know it’s a pretty dog-obsessed place. That cold nose nudging your leg under the conference table? It belongs to Hobbs, one of two Weimaraners who’ve stolen the heart of second-generation partner, Jack Morey. And, well, let’s just say the decision to turn our beachfront bar, PigDog, into a mutt-friendly space wasn’t entirely unselfish. We wanted a cool, casual spot to bring our own favorite doggos. (Hey, they deserve great barbecue, too!)
So you can imagine how stoked we were to present a $2,000 check on October 18th to Beacon Animal Rescue, the Ocean View-based nonprofit dedicated to finding guardians for homeless pets. This represents a portion of the proceeds from the Doggie Splash Party we held on September 8, when we opened up Raging Waters to four-legged friends. Check out these Paw-some photos from this years pool party.
“We believe that pets live their best lives when they’re having fun in safe and loving environments,” says Maggie Warner, Morey’s PR guru. “Our love for creating pet-friendly events and environments is why we seek to partner with organizations like Beacon. We share the same passion and commitment for wanting to better the lives of animals and their families.”
Last Friday, our marketing team drove to Beacon to hand over the money. But, really, this was just a great excuse to cuddle with adorable furballs and learn a little bit more about a worthy cause.
“To put it simply, our mission is to save lives,” says Ryan Parker, the organization’s executive director, who currently has about 16 dogs and 30 cats under his purview. So far this year, Beacon has been able to rehome more than 350 animals. “Each one we take in had been scheduled for euthanasia.”
The rescue, staffed by more than 200 volunteers, acquires 99 percent of its dogs from pockets down south where canines are often used for hunting purposes and treated like dispensable property before being abandoned to overcrowded shelters without the resources to care for them. At least, this was likely the case for Barbosa, a two-year-old black lab who got her leg caught in a trap. When Beacon found her, she was in desperate need of a $2,000 amputation surgery. Now, thanks to the rescue, she’s four weeks into recovery and has found a loving home!
“You would never guess she’s gone through anything traumatic at all,” Ryan says. “She loves running around the yard at top speed, which is very fast even with three legs. Not to mention, she pulls on the leash. Usually, that’s something you want to train a dog to stop doing, but when she does it, you can’t help but feel proud. Nothing gets in her way. She’s truly an inspiration.”
Beacon is largely dependent on donations from community supporters to feed, train, house and care for its furry tenants. Right now, it’s also working on upgrading and expanding its outdated kennels, so every little bit goes a long way. The check from Morey’s is enough to cover the standard vet fees and transportation costs of 16 dogs. Or, as Ryan puts it: “That’s 16 lives saved.”
“The Morey’s organization shares our love for pet ownership,” he says. “It’s obvious they want the best for the animals in this community, and that’s really important to us. We love being able to work together on that goal.”
At the Doggie Splash Party, some of Beacon’s best doggos were able to enjoy the water park and play in a pool for what may have been the first time. One of them, a large, nine-year-old foxhound named Stunning, seemed especially joyful.
“She’s had a rough life and a number of health problems,” Ryan says. “So to see her enjoying herself and playing in the water… there was something magical about that.”
“The Morey’s organization shares our love for pet ownership,” he says. “It’s obvious they want the best for the animals in this community, and that’s really important to us. We love being able to work together on that goal.”
At the Doggie Splash Party, some of Beacon’s best doggos were able to enjoy the water park and play in a pool for what may have been the first time. One of them, a large, nine-year-old foxhound named Stunning, seemed especially joyful.
“She’s had a rough life and a number of health problems,” Ryan says. “So to see her enjoying herself and playing in the water… there was something magical about that.”
Shortly after her day on the Piers, Stunning found her forever home. And, if all goes well, she’ll be one of 450 Beacon animals to be adopted by the end of 2019. (Perhaps some of them by the Morey’s marketing team, because, holy cow, we’ve been overwhelmed by cuteness. “I want to bring them all home,” Maggie says.)
If you’d like to volunteer, sponsor a homeless pet or possibly find your own new best friend, you can learn more at beaconanimalrescue.org.
“It’s an incredible experience to be able to help these animals who literally have nobody when we first come across them,” Ryan says. “To help them meet someone who’s going to love and adore them and give them a home? I think all of us at Beacon feel privileged to be a part of that.”