Heather & Baxter's Brighter Days 2026

I have fostered and volunteered with Safe Hands Rescue for 15 years. In that time I have fostered 79 dogs & puppies, and volunteered in many roles - anything to save a pup! We literally rescue them from hell, nurse them back to health and find their forever home. 

Summer is a difficult time to be a homeless pet. Shelters are overwhelmed, and every day we see more animals arriving with nowhere else to go. Unwanted puppies & kittens are born every day, animals are abandoned or lose their homes & families to circumstances they can’t control, animals with injuries that need medical care, the need grows daily. Some need medication to heal their bodies, surgery to fix their bones, or food in bellies that have been hungry too long. Some are running out of time in overcrowded, underfunded shelters. Many just need a safe place to land, a chance to rest, recover, and be loved.

Howie is just one of those pups. He was abandoned when his owner moved and left him in a yard filled with trash. He was hit by a car just trying to survive. Fortunately for Howie he was brought to Safe Hands’ Safe House to get the care he desperately needed. Howie has several fractures in his pelvis and nerve damage to one leg. He also has a care team with an orthopedic surgeon and neurologist so he’ll have what he needs to heal. 

Pups like Howie need compassionate people like you to give them second chances at a happy and love filled life. Will you help me bring brighter days to homeless pets this summer with your donation to my fundraiser? I promise you, lives will immediately be saved with your donation.

Your gift makes a real difference. Every year Safe Hands Rescue changes the world for 1,500 dogs and cats in need. Howie is just one of them, but to him, it’s everything.

I will be doing shoutout's on Facebook again this year to acknowledge just how awsome people who donate really are!

Much Love,

Heather Rende - Team Captain & Baxter - Sidekick