It’s not often you find the entire Rescue Ranch team together in one place. But that’s exactly what happened on Valentine’s Day, and it made our Speed Dating Adoption Event a wonderful success. Seven pups went home with loving families! While we wish this number were even higher, it’s a step in the right direction. What’s more, the day gave us a road map for future adoption events. There were smiles, heartwarming moments, and puppy kisses aplenty!
Speed dating success
Our rescue partner Karen Topping of Meghan’s House Rescue was the visionary and organizing force behind the event. Karen brings Rescue Ranch dogs to adopters throughout California and Oregon and creative outreach is her speciality. Karen’s concept was to pair our top-most adoptable dogs with Rescue Ranch caretakers. Team members would act as representatives for their favorite dogs and work with them beforehand to hone their obedience skills. The idea behind speed dating was to streamline the meet-and-greet process, avoiding potential logjams on adoption day.
Karen created a wall-length spreadsheet featuring all the top staff picks with key points about each dog’s personality. Adopters were invited to check in, scan the list of candidates, then meet their chosen dogs. Our entire team was on hand to answer questions and help match adopters with candidates.
What I loved most about this event was the engagement between Rescue Ranch team members and their dogs. Trainers were beaming with pride and the dogs were on their best behavior, eager to make new friends. I could easily see their increased confidence and responsiveness. Even shy Pablo came up to me for petting. That’s huge progress!
Good vibes on Valentine’s Day
The upbeat mood was contagious from the moment I stepped through the gate. The Adoption Center grounds were bustling with Ranch caretakers and volunteers. Waiting dogs looked on from pens surrounding the yard while a staff-curated playlist provided a fitting soundtrack.
Many thanks to Tacos Tao for providing tasty fare. And a big shout out to the Grenada 4H Rabbit and Cavy Club for their mouth-watering treats. The girls even baked dog treats for the pups and carried them to all the dogs. So sweet!
My favorite feature was the puppy kissing booth, with adoptable puppies Astro and Rocky offering tender kisses from behind a heart-shaped window. When not in action, they enjoyed the snuggles of loving volunteers. Not a bad way to spend the day!
One of the sweetest scenes I witnessed was tiny Princess Buttercup leaving in the arms of her happy new mom. Rowena’s beloved chihuahua passed last December and she drove down from Medford to meet two of our littlest dogs, Sammy and Buttercup, to see if they could fill the hole he left behind. It was a difficult choice. They both loved Rowena and her other Rescue Ranch pup Sweet Pea. In the end, it was Buttercup who was the best match. Congratulations Rowena and Buttercup!
Many thanks to all our volunteers and the entire Rescue Ranch team for making our first Speed Dating Adoption Event a wonderful success. Love was definitely in the air!
