Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

Twitter's 'We Rate Dogs' Comes To The Rescue Of Bucktown Animal Shelter

By Kelly Bauer | August 14, 2017 1:19pm | Updated on August 18, 2017 10:37am
 A new GoFundMe campaign is aiming to raise $10,000 to help One Tail at a Time and the Shelter Project.
A new GoFundMe campaign is aiming to raise $10,000 to help One Tail at a Time and the Shelter Project.
View Full Caption
Shutterstock

CHICAGO — An extremely popular Twitter account is helping Bucktown's One Tail at a Time animal shelter save dozens of dogs with a fundraiser.

We Rate Dogs — which has more than 3 million followers who check out ratings of adorable pups — is using GoFundMe to raise $10,000 for One Tail at a Time, at 2144 N. Wood St., and the Shelter Project, a national organization to help animals. The money will be split between the two groups.

The campaign managed to raise more than $1,000 in just an hour when it launched on Monday. Fundraising will continue through Saturday.

"That money can really help us rescue some dogs that need some more vet care, like a surgery or treatment for parvovirus or something like that," said Heather Owen, executive director of One Tail at a Time. "Our volunteers are really excited because they like to see us be able to rescue as many dogs as possible."

The shelter should be able to care for 30 to 40 dogs if the campaign makes its goal and nets $5,000 for One Tail at a Time, Owen said. The shelter is a nonprofit and uses donations to look after animals — many of whom come in sick, Owen said — while trying to find them permanent homes.

This is the first official partnership between One Tail at a Time and We Rate Dogs — but the shelter has gotten help from the Twitter account before.

About six months ago, One Tail at a Time hosted a "Clear the Shelters" event where it sought to get all of its dogs adopted, Owen said. It was wildly successful, with every pup finding a home — except for one, Miguel.

Hoping to find a home for Miguel, One Tail at a Time's staff reached out to We Rate Dogs. The Twitter author shared a photo of the pooch, leading to a flood of responses and love for the shelter and Miguel, Owen said. The dog eventually was adopted.

Donations to the fundraiser can be made online.

For those unable to donate, One Tail at a Time has an adoption center in Bucktown that is run mostly by volunteers, Owen said. The shelter is looking for people who can walk the dogs, socialize them, clean kennels and help with other tasks.

Check out some of the cute pups featured on We Rate Dogs: