Thank you!
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The most important job in our rescue group is to foster a great dane. This is where the other jobs... gathering up Danes, vet care, and begging for donations,... pays off.
Foster Homes set the limit for how many Danes we can save. The number of foster homes is exactly the number of Danes we can accept at any one time. If all our foster homes are full, we can help no more.
To be a foster home you will need:
DESIRE, to help a Great Dane in need. To bring it into your home and make a difference.
PATIENCE! is big one. It takes time for a shelter Dane to learn the rules of the house and for many Danes being inside at your house will be the first time.
LOVE, you need LOVE. This unloved and unwanted Great Dane is going to need LOTS of love and attention. We promise you will get it all back 10 times from this grateful Dane. This dane is going to love you unconditionally whether you want it to or not!
TRAINING, if you do not know how to potty train, or teach a Great Dane the rules of your house, crate train, or teach basic commands like sit, stay, leave it, or wait...we can help make you an expert. Just ask.
FOOD, Foster homes buy food, toys, bowls, etc. Read Feeding Your Great Dane and Why we don't feed puppy food to learn how to feed and how to buy food.
CRATE, If we have one to loan, you are welcome to it. If we have the money to buy one to loan to you, we will. But if we are hard up for cash and have no crates, we ask our foster homes to buy a crate. We get a price break on them and can arrange to have one for you to pick up if you can put up the $100.00.
STRENGTH, When the time comes for this now loved, washed, well fed, and trained Great Dane to leave, you will need to be strong and let it go. You will have turned him/her into the most wonderful Dane ever. Knowing this will have to be enough for you to say Good-bye.
What Rescue provides:
VET CARE. We provide funds for spay and neuter, vaccinations, heartworm preventative and incidental vet care as needed. Please call us before you take your foster Dane to the vet. We have some vet connections that provide us care at a better rate than most other vets and sometimes we have learned a vet visit is not needed. We have learned to take care of small wounds, diarrhea, tummy upset, or other little things ourselves and we can teach you how as well.
TRAINING. We have trained a bunch of Great Danes. We know how to help. Call us before you get frustrated. We have articles, handouts, and we will even show up and help hands on if needed.
CRATES if we have them or the money to buy them. W will loan one to you.
ADOPTIVE HOMES. We work to find your foster dog a permanent home. We accept applications and do background checks. We promise to send only approved adopters to your home to meet your foster dane. You do not have to meet prospective adopters at your home if you are uncomfortable. A neutral location like a local Petsmart or Petco is also a good place to meet. We promise to work with your schedule. You can often set the date and time for a viewing.
Become a Member
In our busy lives it seems the hardest job, is just showing up.
Its easy to say "Someone else will do it", "Maybe next time" or "I'm busy"
Of all the people with good intentions, special skills, and boundless energy: it’s those who simply stand up for Danes in need by being present who do the most good. Just saying "I'll help." is your special skill! The simple act of being present is the very thing to save Danes from death and worse...day to day suffering. Its doesn't have to be a big commitment, just becoming a member of rescue is a HUGE help and the minimum annual cost ($35.00) is close to a soda pop a day for only a month.
Become a member of Heartland Great Dane Rescue. It’s the easiest way you can help us no matter where you live.
Fill out a membership form and enclose your annual dues. Put those good intentions to work! In addition to the other privileges of membership, our members are invited to join our email list to support and share the collective journey as Great Dane Owners and Rescuers.
Your 1, 5 or 10 dollar donation will go a long way to helping rescue. No Donation is too small. Many Thanks!
Click the link below to donate.
To Donate via US Mail
Send your Checks to: All monetary contributions are
greatly appreciated.
To give you an idea of the costs involved in rescue of each
great dane as it moves through our program, please read
Where Your
Adoption Fees Go. Medical care is our biggest expense. No volunteer, (from the President on down) receives any compensation for their time, nor
do we pay travel or any other expenses volunteers incur. 100% of each monetary donation goes directly to assisting great danes. Paying medical bills, emergency boarding, buying medical supplies for in home care. Only after the medical bills are
paid are we able to put funds toward, crates, collars, leashes, toys, feeding stands, etc.
Heartland Great Dane Rescue is committed to the health of EACH Dane we receive. In many cases when we receive the Dane, there are medical issues that must be dealt with. For example, it is not uncommon for our Danes to have worms, skin problems,
and often deeper medical issues, like Heartworms, Mange, or tick or
flea borne illnesses. We spay/neuter every Dane. We ensure that
vaccinations are current and if the Dane needs special medical care we do our best to make sure the Great Dane receives the best medical care possible.
If you are a Vet and can provide your services at a reduced cost and/or provide medications we would love to hear from you. In memorial of your
first pet. ~Donate $50.00 to rescue to received a special 1/2 page and picture of
your great dane. Your posted memorial will remain on the website for as long
as there is a website...years and years. ~Donate $100.00 to rescue and receive a special full page and as many
pictures as you wish. Again your memorial is permanent We even have a volunteer to help you with what to say and to dress up
your pictures for a fitting memorial of your sweet dane. What better way to
show how much your fur-family member means to you, than supporting danes in
need!
Heartland Great Dane Rescue, Inc.
5525 hwy 105,
Guthrie OK 73044
In memorial of your most recent pet.
In honor of the one special person who taught you to love pets.
In Thanksgiving for all your many fur footed blessings.
In the name of your kid(s)
Does Aunt Martha really want another housecoat? Sponsor a Great Dane in
her name.
If you have any of these items to donate, please send us an email and we can arrange for pickup.
Thank YOU!
Contact Us
Dane Items
X-pens or baby gates
Dry Dog Food, Premium Brands
leftovers from food changes, or some your dog didn't like are fine too.
If you are a retailer, manufacturer, etc. and would like to make a donation of premium dog food to our rescue in exchange for advertising on this site. We would love to hear from you.
If you would like to donate a bag of food to specific dane, please view our Available Danes Page
Premium Dog Treats
Toys, large
Dog beds
Blankets, any size
Old sleeping bags
old Sheets, any size
Old Towels, any size
Old Rugs or Floor Mats, any size
Flat Nylon Dog Collars Size 20-28 inches
Leashes 4-6 ft. Nylon
Food/Water bowls, stainless steel
Flea/Tick items
Grooming supplies, brushes, cordless/corded Dremels (for nails) etc.
Shampoo, any kind
Dawn Dishwashing Liquid
Office/Computer Supplies
Computers, pens, pencils, desks, desk chairs.
Address Labels, what kind?
Inkjet cartridges, what kind?
stamps
File Cabinets
Envelopes
File Folders
Printer Paper
Calling Cards
Computers
Pens, pencils
Desks, desk chairs
Gift Certificates or Coupons to, Staples, Kinko's, etc.
Custom Printing Services
~ Bumper stickers, calendars, T-shirts, Business cards, handouts, a monthly newsletter, a cookbook...and welcome ideas for more.
Medical Supplies
Gauze
Tape
Vet Wrap
Heartworm preventatives
Antibiotics
Treatments for mange
Rubber gloves
Pet Store Gift Certificates
Other Great Stuff we would love to have...
Can YOU, your business or employer donate services or funds?
1 large event canopy or tent
we have 1 already we would like 2 total, 1 to cover Danes in crates,
1 to cover people, tables etc.
Preferably with removable sides to protect from weather and
if we could be so bold...a pop up. Often the canopy must go
up first thing and having to wait until enough people arrive
can really get an event off to a frustrating start.
A pop up goes up fast with one
person.
2-3 large tables, 6 chairs, 2 easels for events
~ New or used, no matter
We sure could use, legal and accounting services
A Centrally located, storage building or space.
Raffle Prizes and Gifts for
Events
~ To house crates, chairs, tables, tents, dog food, vet
supplies, pet supplies, and items collected for garage
sales.
Vet services donated.
~ Quality vets are hard to find. We need them in all parts
of OKC and Tulsa; all parts of the state.
~ People willing to meet these vets and ask for their
donated services.
Training donated.
~Individual dogs, foster families, or our whole group. Every
dog and every rescue volunteer needs to know basic obedience
training.
We are always in need of
fundraising items, please contact us, we'd love to post your
generosity on our website.
The price of a spay or neuter for a great dane is steep. $160-200 we consider a bargain price compared to some we have paid.
Donate the gift of a longer life, a better companion, and less unwanted pets today!
Donate Your Time
Volunteer Your Skills For Rescue
What are you good at? Writing? Organizing? Reading? Research? Planning?
Crafts? Paperwork? Talking? Driving? Do you Ebay? Bake? Take Photos? Dog
training? Scrapbooking?
What is your special skill? It could be used for rescue. Can you organize a
garage sale at your house? A Bake Sale? A craft sale? Can you educate
yourself about Danes and then tell what you know at an event, in an email,
over the phone? Take/Make phone calls? Keep a database? Home check
perspective adopters? Compute? Run errands? Take Pictures at events?
Where do you shine? Give the gift of YOU to save Great Danes!
Virtually every skill can be a blessing to rescue, if you have a skill
getting rusty, please exercise it with us!
Open Volunteer Posts
Independent People Needed For Variety of Tasks.
We would love to have a little event... a garage sale, bake sale, craft sale
or other
fundraising activity( what are your ideas for fundraising, tell us!) to be
happening every month.
~ To raise awareness
~ To bring in funds.
~ To get our membership together.
Preferably in a different neighborhood. Independently planned, organized,
and held by one, pairs or a small group of people.
Organizers/Coordinators
~ Annual garage sale coordinator
~ Items and services donation drive coordinator
~ Membership drive coordinator
~ Annual membership dues collection coordinator
Fundraising Coordinator
No, a Fundraising Coordinator is not just a fancy name for "bank
robber". So get those panty hose off your head!
The Fundraising Coordinator is a
person who heads a team of their choosing to plan the money making
portion of events and activities. In other words, the Events Staff
works on the event and the Fundraising Staff works on making money
with the event. Raffle Prize and sales items gathering,
concocting new and interesting ways to turn a few bucks!
The Fundraising Coordinator reports to the President, and works
closely with The Event Coordinator.
Interested?
Contact
Jan Cates
Membership Coordinator
Do you have a functioning Remember-er? We don't! Can we borrow yours?
Here's the deal.
Members pay dues. When they come due we forget to remind members to
pay again.
So if you are good at the gab and enjoy being on the phone. This is
the perfect way to help your rescue. If you can make a few phone calls a
week to remind folks of their annual membership dues, update contact
information, and send a weekly report to HGDR
Officers on your progress, your a shoe in. The best part of
this job is when your talking to folks on the phone who have an
adopted dane from HGDR you get all the latest news about how their
dogs are doing and other yummy tidbits!
Sound like FUN?
Contact
Jan Cates
Dane List Monitor
There are many, many email lists out there about Great Danes, Great Dane Rescue and Oklahoma Pet Rescue groups to join. Too many, in fact for the Officers of HGDR to
join and scan for information on Danes in Need or other pertinent information. Often well meaning people will email us a post or two, but without the entire thread we are often left in the dark.
What would be great is if someone who loves to get email would
consent to be on all these lists and let us know when Oklahoma Danes
in need are mentioned. This sounds like a little job, but its
listed here with the BIG ones because of the sheer mail volume.
Really! If you like LOTS of email! You will get it from this job for
sure!
Interested?
Contact
Jan Cates
~ Contribute to a monthly newsletter, we would love to get a monthly newsletter started, but we are willing to start small, an informative article each month sent to the HGDR list, would be a fine start if organizing a newsletter seems too large a task.
~ Write pieces for our website
Foster Buddies.
Fostering is a huge job. It’s easy to fall behind at home or feel forgotten.
Foster parent buddies are special someones who...
~ call weekly to check in.
~ ask to help out with daily, weekly chores or errands.
~ Dane sit for a night or a weekend.
~ Groom, walk, leash train, or socialize someone’s Dane for a day.
~ just call and talk.
~ drop by with a casserole or a dessert.
Girl Fridays.
~ Calls made. A calling tree before events would be WONDERFUL!
~ Errands run.
~ Vets interviewed by phone.
~ Paperwork tamers, filers, and organizers.
~Boy Fridays welcome!
Promoters to attract the attention of the media.
~ Newspapers
~ Television
~ Radio
~ Internet
~Word of Mouth
Word of Mouth is our most common promotion. Next time your out with your Dane, tell others about rescue and be ready to tell them how they can become a member, foster or adopter. Have our website ready to share. www.heartlandgdr.org You never know where the next rescue member will come from.
Ebayers.
~ To list, sell, ship, and follow up on sales of items for rescue.
Rescue will provide the items when we have them. This is seasonal work, not year round picking up in the Fall and dropping off in January.
Crafters.
~ Woodworking
~ Sewing
~ Quilting
~ Knitting /Crocheting
~ Gardening
~ Scrapbooking
~ You name it.
~ Whatever your craft, put it to work building funds and awareness.
~ Your donated time and materials make a difference.
Scrapbookers and Artists.
~ Posters Of our adoptable Danes for events.
~ Visuals Of our for sale items at events.
~ Posters Of our custom order items at events
Calling all scrapbookers! Come in, Scrapbookers!
Home checkers.
~ In your part of the city or state.
We will teach you what to look for, what to ask, and how to write up foster contracts and adoption contracts.
Shelter Walkers.
~Email?
~ About 3 hours a week?
Following up on suspected Great Danes in OKC shelters, get pictures, email them. You're done.
Assess dogs in shelters.
~ Are they full/part Dane?
~ Age?
~ Are they timid, fearful, aggressive, seniors, mangy, have obvious injury, or illness needing immediate medical attention?
We will teach you what to look for here, too.
Transporters.
~ Across state to bring Danes to and from rescues.
~ To get dogs and items to and from events.
Talkers.
~ Make phone calls.
~ Check references.
~ Follow up on past adopters.
~ Answer questions at event booths.
Computer Operators.
~ Maintain a data base of volunteers
~ Maintain a membership list and list of collected annual dues
~ Maintain a mailing and emailing list of all contacts for fundraising
~ Update phone #s
~ Update email addresses.
~ Promote Oklahoma Great Dane Rescue to Dane Message boards and Message lists.
Fundraising Committee members.
~ To solicit donations
~ To work events
~ Help come up with ideas
~ Plan and carry out those ideas
Calling Tree Operator.
~ We need a calling tree one person can set this up and oversee it. Let folks know quickly about important happenings, events, emergencies, etc.
Groomers. Nails, Baths, Brush Coats, Clean Ears.
~ Prior to events
~ Before adopter visits
~ To give a foster parent a boost
With These Merchants
Event ideas
There are a number of wonderful event ideas we would like to pursue, but do not have a coordinator to take charge or the time to do it ourselves. If any of the below ideas tickle your fancy and you would like to coordinate the event please let us know. The Danes Thank you!
Golf Tournament
There are a number of courses in the OKC or Tulsa Metro areas who
do charity tournaments. In many cases the course itself covers most of
the event planning work, provides prizes for hole in one winners, etc.
What we lack is a coordinator who can find the course and advertise for
enough participants to meet minimums, chose a viable date, and cover the
details the course does not. Website work and exposure will be provided.
If you are this person,
please contact HGDR about your interest in
planning this event. If it works we would love to make it an annual
event, but if its a one time burst of fun that would be great too!
Haircuts for HeartlandGDR
One of the most successful fundraisers is to partner with 4 to 5
hairstylist and have a day of haircuts at a low cost where half or
sometimes all the proceeds go to the charity. Haircuts are something
many people need so its very popular and becomes much like a party
atmosphere because so many people who know each other stop by for snips
and cuts.
A great turnout can be expected simply by timing this fundraiser around
back to school time, holiday picture time, or in the spring when warm
weather is right around the corner. Droves of kids needing cuts will
bring out whole families for inexpensive haircuts that benefit rescue.
What we lack is contact with new stylist needing exposure or experienced
stylist willing to donate their time. A shop of experienced stylist (
4-5) for a day or a weekend would be ideal. We also lack the time to
plan and organize such an event. Website work and exposure will be
provided.
If you know hairstylists, or are a hairstylist and would like to
organize this event,
we would love to hear from you.
Recycling for Rescue
Saving and selling back valuable aluminum, copper, glass and plastics is
a great way to raise funds and help reuse everyday items. It used to be
fundraiser HGDR did,
but through lack of interest or lack of a coordinator it has fallen by
the wayside. HGDR is looking for a coordinator willing to look into
recyclables as a viable source for funds. And if it is, be willing to
spearhead the effort of collecting recyclables from members and
non-members alike. Either in conjunction with other HGDR events or just
making your home or business accessible to drop offs of recyclables and
reminding folks to drop off. Written reminders to the HGDR membership
list once a month or before events, or when recyclables are cashed in,
to keep the recycling project in the mind of members would be needed as
well as a willingness to work with little supervision without letting
the project falter (if it is deemed a worthy fundraiser) There is a space
concern for storing these items, as well as a transportation concern for
getting them to a recycler. Paperwork would be minimal, dropping
receipts and funds into the mail to HGDR Treasurer, Ron Cates would be
it.
Other ideas will be added as they become available, if you have an idea
or wish to volunteer for any of the above,
we would love
to hear from you.