Your support and contributions will enable us to meet our mission and goals!

Greetings, Chow Friends!!
 

Happy New Year! We hope that this email finds you well, safe, and healthy. We continue to be truly grateful for your ongoing support of the chow community. It keeps us going, and it keeps the rescue in a position where we can save those that truly need us. We hope our updates continue to bring hope and joy into your day. If you're following us on Facebook or Insta, you may have noticed we are still operating at lightning speeds as we roll into 2021.
 

November
We had 33 adoption applications, 6 dogs entered the rescue program, and we adopted out 9 dogs.
 

December
We had 29 adoption applications, 14 dogs entered the program, and we adopted out 8 dogs.
 

Total 2020 Applications: 451
Total 2020 Dogs into Houston Chow: 160
Total 2020 Dogs Adopted: 171
 

Medical Expenses
In November and early December, our vet bills stabilized for the most part - just routine vaccinations and spay/neuter visits. But like clockwork - right at the holidays, we took in Tulip, a sweet girl in horrible shape. We raised enough to cover her vet expenses, thank you! We also have Opal, a sweet girl with one of our amazing fosters in Missouri, who has a terribly broken leg (much like Wonka a few months back). We are getting her to Houston for the surgery and medical boarding and expect that to run, in total, about $4000 (procedure, meds, visits, medical boarding). If you would like to contribute to help our seniors and those with medical needs, please click here to donate via our website and click on the "donate" button.
 

Veterinary & Boarding Expenses
Our November veterinary expenses were $4,225.16 and our November boarding/training expenses were $5,365.00. Our December veterinary expenses were $5,505.18 and our December boarding/training expenses were $4,995.00.
 

Total 2020 Veterinary Expenses: $74,608.93
Total 2020 Boarding Expenses: $48,278.00
Total 2020 Training Expenses: $4,482.00

We still have a few dogs requiring specialized training and assistance - your donations and support helps us keep the dogs healthy, safe, and adoptable.
 

#GivingTuesday 2020 - A Huge Success!
We are truly humbled and grateful for your kindness and support on GivingTuesday. We set an ambitious goal of $10,000 and we surpassed that goal by raising just over $12,000 through Facebook, Instagram, our website, and mail-in donations. We cannot thank you enough for your support and we hope you enjoyed all the videos, stories, give-backs, and dog photos.
 

Transport Updates
November and December were quiet transport months, at least compared to some of our past months! Chacho hopped a ride to Florida with our Pilots N Paws pilot Randy J. and his wife Gloria; Tennessee went to Washington, Belle and Marley both went to Maryland, and China went to North Carolina with some of our favorite transport companies. Queenie road-tripped to her new home in North Dakota with her new mom and dad, and while Hopkins and Jake were both adopted in December, they left for their forever homes just after the new year. Hopkins went to Nova Scotia, Canada and Jake went to New Jersey!

Missouri Hoarding Situation
At the end of 2020, we were alerted of a chow hoarding/puppy-mill situation unfolding in Missouri, with over 50 dogs and puppies discovered living in horrid conditions. Along with other chow rescues around the US, we stepped forward and offered to take in some dogs. At present, we are working out the logistics and are expecting 5-8 dogs to come into the rescue. We are looking for foster homes in Colorado, Missouri, and states along the way. Interested in helping? Please fill out a foster application here. Please note that based on the dogs, we may be looking for certain criteria (no dogs, no cats, etc.) but don't know just yet. Not able to foster but want to help? We'll need funds for boarding, transport, vetting, and more. Click here to donate! We are also planning on setting up a specific Facebook fundraiser for the dogs we do take in so keep an eye out on our Facebook page for more details.

If you have questions, ideas on how to help, or would like to volunteer, please email us at chowmail.hccc@gmail.com and one of our board members will reach out.
 

Adoption Application: Click here
Foster Application: Click here
Want to Donate? Click here and click on the "Donate" button

Ways to Support Houston Chow
As we enter 2021, we continue to look for new ways to cover our rising expenses so we can save more dogs.
 

Fun Fabric Face Masks
We are still selling them - and we're all about the different holidays and super-cute fabrics! Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, and Easter masks are all on the website now. We want to help our chow family look fabulous and maybe put a smile on someone's face with some super-cute dog and holiday-themed patterns. We also have cat designs! Our amazing volunteer, Michelle, a professional seamstress, is busy sewing away and all proceeds help us cover our veterinary and boarding expenses. So much fun! They're available for purchase on our website via the link here, and are just $10 each (including tax) and $1 for shipping. Photos below are just a few examples of masks we have on our website. We have many styles to choose from.

Amazon App & Amazon Smile
Reminder! You can now support Houston Chow Chow Connection when you're shopping via the Amazon App! Woohoo! If you don't already have an Amazon Smile account, be sure to set that up. Then download the app on your mobile device. Next, go to the main menu (top left corner with 3 horizontal lines), click on settings, then AmazonSmile, and click on the button to "turn Smile on". The app requires you to renew your Smile settings twice a year, and it lets you know when your next renewal date is, so make sure to add that to your calendar! If you're not using the app on your mobile device, be sure to place all your Amazon orders via the smile.amazon.com site so you can select Houston Chow Chow Connection as your preferred charity. It's free funds for the rescue and does make a difference!
 

Merchandise & Tee Shirt Sales
We have updated our tee shirt inventory on our website and have new leashes and collars available! You can also see our seat-belt tethers and tote bags on our website, too. Visit our "Shop to Support" page on our website here. 

Scentsy Fundraiser for Houston Chow
Need some fabulous scents to brighten your mood now that it's darker earlier - look no further! Great gifts and fun things for the home await. Thanks to one of our adopters who happens to be a Scentsy rep, she's donating 20% of sales to Houston Chow Chow Connection when you shop through the end of January! Click here for the link to the Scentsy page and shop away! With the the new year ahead, it's a great time to refresh your space and start the year with a clean, fresh home! Thank you, Valerie!!
 

Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co.
We continue to partner with Grounds & Hounds Coffee Company as an approved rescue and partner. This means that any time you order coffee, merchandise, or set up a coffee subscription, Houston Chow Chow Connection receives 10% of your order as a donation from Grounds & Hounds. Just enter our code, HoustonChowChow, when you're checking out. Even better - bookmark the link and you'll save 15% off your order. Click here to get shopping! Be sure to take a photo of your pup with your new Grounds & Hounds cups and coffee and share it with us. Don't forget to tag us both on Facebook and Insta! 

Facebook Birthday Fundraisers
Everyone has a birthday, right? This is a super easy way to generate donations for Houston Chow. All you need to do is set up a birthday fundraiser - Facebook even asks if you want to! Add a photo of your chow or one of ours you'd like to help, explain why the rescue is important to you, and share it with your friends. Quick and easy! $250 covers the vetting intake, including spay/neuter, for each pup that we bring into the rescue - so each birthday fundraiser helps! Every dollar makes a difference.
 

Estate & Financial Planning
Another way to help us with our expenses is through gifting, estate planning, or listing Houston Chow as a beneficiary on a life insurance policy, trust, or account. Not sure where to begin? A few of us have done this, so we can help you start the conversation with your financial planner or estate attorney. Have you already done this but aren't sure what to do next? Reach out to us so we can provide you with an acknowledgement letter and contact details for you to include with your documentation.

Monthly Donations + Company Matching
See if your company has a matching program - many do! We can assist with getting Houston Chow registered so your monthly donation doubles when your organization also contributes.
 

PayPal Giving
When you're shopping online or in an app, and you're checking out with PayPal, you may have the opportunity to add a donation to Houston Chow Chow Connection via the PayPal Giving Foundation. Simply include the donation as part of the process, PayPal Giving will receive the funds and send it along to us. Simple and easy!

Dog Transports
Transporting dogs continues to be a need for the rescue. If you live outside Texas and want to be added to our transport database, please let us know! Our local Houston, Austin, and DFW area volunteers have been incredibly helpful with getting dogs to vet visits, meet & greets with approved adopters, and the very important "freedom rides" from shelters. We remain mindful of social distancing and mask requirements.
 

Fosters Needed
We still are in great need of fosters! If you're able to foster, even just for a few weeks, please let us know! Keep in mind that the rescue covers all medical and food expenses - all you need to provide is provide love, guidance, and a safe space for them to decompress. We have a major need for fosters in the Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth/Arlington, Waco, and other areas around Texas. Out of state? No problem. We may not be able to get dogs to you from Texas, but that allows us to pull dogs in other states close by. We would love your help. Have thought about fostering but are worried about the emotions? We get it - it's hard to let those pups go - but it literally means one more life is saved. We'll talk you through it! Click here for the foster application. 

Be well and be safe. We appreciate each and every one of you. We’re here for you if you have any questions, need advice on additional resources, or if you need help.
 

Krissey, Janet, Yana, Jill, & Sarah