Abby's Birthday Campaign

I am donating my birthday to the ASPCA to help save animals lives! Your donation will help the ASPCA provide life-saving programs and services to millions of animals nationwide. The ASPCA is very important to me and I appreciate your help as we fight to give abused and homeless animals a second chance at life. In lieu of birthday gifts, please support me by making a donation and help me make a positive impact in the lives of animals! Thank you!

I decided to participate this year in honor of my rescue dog Teddy. Last Halloween, I adopted Ted the day before the Raleigh Animal Shelter was going to euthanize him due to overcrowding. Teddy was an older, larger dog who had not been adopted after several months. He was sitting full of hope and inspiration in the shelter without anyone to share his life with. Teddy had not used the bathroom for days, and was covered in fleas and ticks. When I first met Ted, he was afraid to look at me, must less enjoy a scratch on the back. After about thirty minutes of sitting with him in the kennel, he begrudgingly walked outside with me. Teddy was so excited to be away from his kennel that he forced me to drag him back in! I saw something in Teddy that day. I noticed the pain in his eyes, and the misunderstanding of where his former family was. Teddy, unlike most of the dogs at the shelter, had been dropped by a family who wrote that they "could no longer deal with him." Teddy had no vet history, medical treatments, and was overweight and dirty. Who could do such a thing? How can you just stop loving your best friend? I knew then that Teddy had a new place to call home. As a few of you know, Teddy has a particular "strut" when he walks around these days. In word form, it is kind of like a "I know I'm the man in charge" way about him. He is now in shape, eats a primarily organic and vegan diet (he may not enjoy this as much as me!), and is groomed and loved to the maximum potential. He has his forever home now, and no matter what we will always love, care, and protect him. I wish that instead of providing me Birthday gifts, you support this cause. I wish that we could provide all animals forever homes, but instead let's make a small dent in helping the ones who don't have one, find shelter in these next cold upcoming months. Thank you so much. I love you all more than you know! -AB