The Philanthropy Project

My job has some pretty cool dog mom perks. In addition to being able to bring a dog or two into the office occasionally, I get to work on and direct the philanthropy project. I am so fortunate to work for a company who puts their money where there mouth is, so to speak, in that they really do make every effort to give back whenever they can.

The project works like this – we make therapeutic blankets (we call them Draped in Health Blankets – DIH blankets for short) out of Celliant® fiber and surplus stock fiber, sell them on our website, then donate 50% of the sales to a charitable cause. In the past, we donated to the University of Michigan’s Cancer Research Center, but last year I decided we needed a change. In July 2017, I brought home Clementine from Beastly Rescue, got to know a few of the ladies that run that organization, and decided that we could really make a big difference to their small rescue by donating to them. It started off as just temporary (October – December), but I had so much fun working with Beastly and selling the blankets that I decided to make the change permanent!

There’s so many rescues out there that it’s almost impossible to pick a favorite. I’ve donated items and money to breed specific rescues (DRSF will always be my go-to when I’m looking for a sausage dog!), but there’s something about Beastly that really resonates with me. Maybe it’s because they’re small. Maybe it’s because it’s managed/operated by women. Maybe it’s because they often pull from the large, busy NYACC – a kill shelter in NYC where dogs are literally thrown away by their owners, brought in after they’re seized for legal reasons, or plucked off the streets as strays. When they arrive at the shelter, the dogs are usually in bad shape – traumatized, sick from neglect, dirty, injured, or with major behavioral issues – and the staff do their best with what resources they have. The problem is the volume of dogs and frequently kennel life causes even a healthy dog with a solid temperament to deteriorate. There appears to be some sort of a foster program, but it’s small and can’t accommodate every dog that needs a foster.

Some of Beastly Rescue’s adoptables: Lola (top left), Brownie (top right), Scout and Trix (bottom)

Luckily, approved rescues are allowed to pull dogs from the NYACC population. Beastly is one of those, often taking on senior, sick, or highly stigmatized dogs. These dogs are sprung from the shelter and go directly into foster homes. They have time to decompress, receive whatever veterinary care they need, and learn how to be good companions again. When they’re ready, they’re put up for adoption and are only awarded to the best, most responsible applicants.

Getting back to the blankets – Every year (or sometimes twice per year depending on stock levels) Draper Therapies releases new DIH Blankets. The colors depend on what we have on hand, sometimes we have charcoal or cream colored back grounds, but we always bright accent colors. The design is the same – two hands making a heart with our logo in the middle. The words “Draped in Health, Wellness, Life and Love.” are underneath the design. Those words pertain to our company’s mission – to create therapeutic goods that help improve wellness – as well as Beastly’s. I can’t think of a more fitting catch phrase for these blankets and this project! This season we have Charcoal/Gold, Charcoal/Raspberry, and our newest (and my favorite color) Charcoal/Seafoam Green.

Seafoam Green (left), Raspberry (center), Gold (right)

All rescues need support – items, money, time, foster parents, networking – and Beastly is the one I wanted us to rally behind. I think Clem would agree.

If you’re interested in purchasing a DIH blanket, click here.

If you’d like to view all of Beastly Rescue’s adoptables, click here, or check them out on Facebook or Instagram.

If you’d like to learn more about Celliant®, click here.

If you’d like to see all of Draper Therapies’s products, click here or visit them on Facebook or Instagram.