pictured above: Planet Dog’s “Orbee-Tuff Strawberry with Treat Spot” dog toy
Planet Dog, the Portland-based designer, developer and retailer of award-winning and socially responsible products for dogs, is proud to announce an upcoming fundraising drive at the Planet Dog Company Store in Portland. Their efforts will help the Southern Maine Agency on Aging raise $5,000 in much needed funds for the animal companions of extremely low-income elderly people. During the first two weeks of March, Planet Dog will donate 10% of the proceeds from the sale of Planet Dog’s Old Soul dog toy collection to the Agency’s Best Friend Fund.
The Southern Maine Agency on Aging is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the physical, social, emotional and economic well-being of older adults in southern Maine. Thanks to dedicated staff and volunteers more than 1,000 older people and their families are served by the Agency every work day.
The Agency approached Planet Dog to help meet the challenge of a matching grant of $2,500 for the Best Friend Fund offered by private donor Eddie Woodin, the owner of the Portland, Maine-based Woodin & Company Store Fixtures, Inc. Woodin, a former star baseball and football player who graduated from Colby College in 1969, is no stranger to philanthropy. Over the past 15 years, he estimates he’s donated more than one million dollars to charity including to Maine Audubon. A resident of Scarborough, Maine, he was named the 2008 Scarborough Leader’s “Great Person” of the year by his neighbors and is responsible for providing free, high-quality birdseed to the elderly in Scarborough so they can continue to enjoy bird watching.
Says Woodin, “It is indeed a privilege to help those in need. The relationship between older adults and their pets is essential to their mutual well-being. We want to collectively provide support for pet food and others services to ensure the pets are well cared for and do not have to be given up for adoption due to financial pressures.”
The Best Friend Fund for which Woodin and Planet Dog are joining forces to raise money, is managed by a panel of social workers for the Southern Maine Agency on Aging who approve applications. The social workers come in contact with many low-income elderly who struggle to pay for expenses associated with caring for their pets which are generally older as well.
“We are proud to partner with such a renowned Maine philanthropist to help low-income elderly continue to care for their pets,” says Stephanie Volo, Planet Dog’s President. ”Research studies have proven the dramatic health and social benefits of animal companionship so we are happy to help the elderly continue to receive these benefits,” adds Volo.
Since day one, Planet Dog has been committed to values and giving back, which is most evident through the Planet Dog Foundation (PDF), their non-profit. PDF specializes in grant funding for programs that work with dogs to help people in need. Planet Dog is proud to donate 2% of every sale to PDF.
PDF provides cash grants to non-profit programs throughout the country that train, place and support dogs who help people in need. Since 2006, PDF has given away more than a half a million dollars in cash grants and in-kind product donations in Maine and beyond. For more information, please visit planetdogfoundation.org.
MF&L Staff at Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine.
