Homeward Bound is dedicated to rescuing homeless and unwanted animals. We are a non-profit, 501(c) 3-tax exempt, no-kill dog rescue and placement organization based in Minnesota. Although our focus is primarily on rescuing dogs, we also rescue cats, kittens, & other animals. We are an independent organization and depend solely on adoption fees, fundraisers, and donations to operate. We receive NO government support. Homeward Bound has been in operation since 1991 & has placed over 12,800 dogs in loving homes. We try our best to match the dogs with the needs, wants, personalities, and lifestyles of potential adopters to ensure a healthy, happy, & permanent home. All Homeward Bound dogs must live indoors. Dogs are social pack animals by nature and we want them to be able to have all of the companionship, love, & attention they deserve, as well as a chance to bond with the family.

We rescue all types of dogs, ranging from small to large breeds. Roughly 40% of the dogs we rescue are purebred while the other 60% are mixed breeds. The age of the dogs varies from puppies to adults. We will tell you about each dog's history, personality, & behavior, including whether or not they are good which children and other pets, their exercise needs, & other important information.

Each week, new dogs are rescued and we hold pet adoptions every Saturday at a Petco location from 11:30a.m. - 4p.m. in the Twin Cities area. Please see our Adoption Dates and Locations for more information.

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TASTY FUNDRAISER, FEBRUARY 11th: Do you enjoy good food, prizes, and drinks? Do you love dogs/cats? If so, how about going to Tryg's Restaurant and Bar from 6-9 on February 11th for good food and drinks?! Tryg's will be offering several choices of beer and wine at half price. Appetizers are complimentary. You can receive a bag of goodies including stuff for dogs and humans. There will be drawings for many other awesome prizes throughout the evening. We are suggesting a donation of $20.00, though more is sure needed and appreciated! The proceeds will go to Homeward Bound (we desperately need donations right now!) and will help us continue to rescue homeless dogs and cats. Tryg's Restaurant and Bar is located at 3118 West Lake Street in Minneapolis, 55416. The restaurant itself is beautiful and the food is very tasty! If you are interested in learning more about this fundraiser and/or to RSVP, please call Cheri at 612 - 759 - 8982.

FOSTER PLEA: We are looking for a foster home for a 6-month-old, 35-pound, female Plott hound puppy. Plott hounds are active, happy, mischievous dogs who are social and get along well with people and other dogs. The are very low shed and bark rather than bay. This girl is currently waiting in a kill shelter and her time is running out, but we can't accept her into our program unless we have a foster home for her, and right now, we're full to the brim! If you are willing to open your home and your heart to this girl (and do some puppy training) email Jackie at jackiesinger@comcast.net for additional information. Please don't wait, as her time is running out and we'll need to move quickly if we want to save her. (Her picture is courtesy of the shelter she came from)

WHY SO MANY BLACK DOGS? We often hear people complain about the number of black dogs we have in our program and feel that now is the perfect time to educate the public about how hard it is for black dogs to find homes. Black or darker colored dogs, especially the larger sized ones, are often the first to get euthanized at pounds, shelters, & humane societies when space becomes an issue. People tend to overlook the black/darker dogs for the lighter colored dogs - they see darker dogs as "just another black dog" rather than as a unique individual. It doesn't matter if the dog is purebred or not - if a dog is brought to a shelter/pound/humane society and they have dark colored fur, their chance of getting adopted is very slim. This is a shame because black dogs are just as wonderful as lighter colored dogs. Please consider adopting a darker colored dog!

WHERE TO GET HELP FOR DOGS/CATS WHO ARE LEFT OUTDOORS DURING EXTREMELY COLD WEATHER: It amazes us how many people still keep animals outside, but it truly boggles our mind WHY anyone would ever leave an animal outdoors when it is so cold. If you see or know of a dog/cat who is left outdoors with no protection the elements, water (that is not frozen), or food, there is something you can do to help. It is against the law to keep dogs/cats outside for more than 2 hours without shelter and food/water but frankly at these temperatures, many animals won't even survive that long without shelter. If they do make it, they most assuredly will have frostbite and get very sick. Please call the Minnesota Federated Humane Societies (612-866-8663 or 1-877-8ANIMAL) immediately if there is animal who is being neglected and/or abused. Thank you.

COLD WEATHER TIPS: With cold weather comes a lot of safety concerns for animals. For the sake of your pets, please visit the following sites to learn more about keeping your animals safe and warm: www.aspca.org/site/ PageServer?pagename=pets _coldweathertips, www.bestfriends.org /theanimals/pdfs/allpets /coldweather.pdf, www.anticruelty.org/ site/epage/36634_576.htm, www.ygrr.org/ doginfo/safety-cold- weather-hazards.html, www.weather.com /outlook/homeandgarden/ pets/articles/d59, and www.paw-rescue.org/ PAW/PETTIPS/DogTip_Cold Weather.php.