# Businesses that give back **URL:** \ **Category:** THS News & Feedback\ **Created:** [21 June 2026 13:10 UTC](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/businesses-that-give-back/77918 "2026-06-21T13:10:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MerryPuppins](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/forum.trustedhousesitters.com/merrypuppins/32/38890_2.png) [@MerryPuppins](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/u/MerryPuppins)\ **Post date:** [21 June 2026 13:10 UTC](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/businesses-that-give-back/77918/1 "2026-06-21T13:10:49Z")
Just saw this article/video and thought how nice it was to see a small, pet-related business finding ways to help animals in need: > **[Ottumwa man walking 150 miles with shelter dogs to help them find homes — KCCI](https://apple.news/ATL4xuy14SsWuwirqadvb3g)** > > Bret Shepard is hoping to walk a total of 150 miles with as many of the Heartland Humane Society's dogs as he can this summer. Another I’ve always admired is “We Rate Dogs,” who has a charitable arm they use to raise money for animals who need surgery or specialized care. I’ve personally taken a few shelter dogs out for daytrips, which was always a fun day for both of us, and have been considering volunteering at our local shelter if they could use me for something in between my travels. It made me wonder if THS has any charitable efforts they coordinate or participate in, or have any plans to do so. ---
**Author:** ![Jenny](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/forum.trustedhousesitters.com/jenny/32/43703_2.png) [@Jenny](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/u/Jenny)\ **Post date:** [23 June 2026 08:17 UTC](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/businesses-that-give-back/77918/2 "2026-06-23T08:17:58Z")
Hi @MerryPuppins Great question! I knew there were a few initiatives, so I checked with the team to see what was current, and they’ve responded 😊 \*We’ve been proud partners of **Helen Woodward Animal Center** since 2022 and in that time, our support has helped facilitate an incredible **12,884 adoptions!** _The partnership grew organically from our community and member activity in San Diego, and what’s kept it thriving is a shared belief in the human-animal bond and a commitment to keeping pets happily in the homes where they belong._ _Together, we’ve created a dedicated video resource for new adopters, sponsored the Business of Saving Lives initiative — which helped animal welfare organisations worldwide share best practices — and supported major fundraising and awareness events._ _Beyond Helen Woodward, giving back is woven into how we work. All employees receive paid volunteering days, and in 2025 we gave **102 volunteering days** across **13 grassroots organisations**._ _We’re also putting the finishing touches on our **2025 Impact Report** , which will share more detail on our charitable work - watch this space._ I’d love to hear about your shelter dog day trips @MerryPuppins - I wonder if any other members are doing something similar! Jenny ---
**Author:** ![MerryPuppins](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/forum.trustedhousesitters.com/merrypuppins/32/38890_2.png) [@MerryPuppins](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/u/MerryPuppins)\ **Post date:** [23 June 2026 19:12 UTC](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/businesses-that-give-back/77918/3 "2026-06-23T19:12:53Z")
Thanks for the response, Jenny. Glad there are some initiatives at THS. TBH, while marketing shouldn’t be the primary driver for charitable efforts — it does seem like it could be a better vehicle for ‘spreading the THS word’ than maybe some of the more recent ad campaigns. Maybe they could even consider some campaign activities that allow for participation from our members… Re: doggy daytrips, my son and I discovered that the Kauai Humane Society has a program allowing visitors to register & “check out” dogs for half & full day outings. It gives the pups a fun day out, while also exposing them to potential adopters. We gave this a try on one of our annual trips a few years ago, & it was so successful that now we try to set aside a day to take a dog out every time we visit. Here are some photos of Mrs. Klaus, who we had a day trip with year before last: ![IMG_2513](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/uploads/trustedhousesitters/original/3X/a/d/adab269ca874e96da426ff8caa9765b7db7b4469.jpeg) ![IMG_2512](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/uploads/trustedhousesitters/original/3X/6/b/6bee3408dfbc18606bd5e577764bc33a1037b3b4.jpeg) As you can see, she was quite enthused by the artwork on display in the galleries in Hanapepe…! 💕🐾