1st Annual Bags for Bullies Auction

Short Mugs Rescue Squad is gearing up for it's 1st Annual Bags for Bullies Auction!  We will be featuring designer handbags in new and gently used condition.  Each item will be 100% authentic, so no need to worry about designer knockoffs.  You can bid with confidence!

Each month the rescue spends thousands in vetting cost for our dogs.  We thought this would be a fun way to meet the ever growing need within the rescue.  As most know, rehabilitating a french bulldog or english bulldog can be very costly.  While these furkids are adorable, their care comes at a premium.  For a frenchie that has not been well maintained that cost can skyrocket quickly.  Rescue spares no expense when it comes to our dogs.

We rescue and rehab dogs from all over Texas.  Our area does also cover limited portions of Oklahoma and Louisiana, but Texas seems to be keeping us pretty busy these days.  It's a big state!

We have gathered some AMAZING donations!  The outpouring of generosity has been overwhelming.  And there is still time to donate if you are interested.  Just send Monica, auction coordinator, and email and she will let you know where to mail your donation.  She needs all donations in hand by June 5th.

All the action will be starting on June 9th, so get ready!  If you'd like to get a peek at our goodies just head on over to our auction page.  Monica is currently building the album and will be providing more detailed pictures and descriptions as she goes along.  In order to bid in the auction, you will need to like the page and be sure to follow it in order to receive alerts.  Below is the link to the page and thank you everyone for all of the support.

Auction Page Link:
https://www.facebook.com/ShortMugsRescueSquadAuctionPage/

September Fundraiser with Squishy Faces!

For the entire month of September, our friends at Squishy Faces will be donating 10% of all sales to Short Mugs Rescue Squad.  Stop by and check out what they have to offer!  Remember, each purchase helps save a life!

http://www.shopsquishyfaces.com

Keep Austin Smushed 2 - May 14th

Join us at Doghouse Drinkery & Dog Park in the front gated park area with your friends and furbabies (or real babies, or just yourself!) from 3-7PM. The Drinkery will have live music and will donate 20% of beer sales during our event to SMRS!

Short Mugs will be on site with t-shirts and Keep Austin Smushed tote bags for sale! We'll have a silent auction with great items TBA from our fantastic sponsors and volunteers, and a few door prizes too!

Don't miss it! Join the event on our Facebook page for updates and invite your friends!

Keep Austin Smushed 2 event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/262612437405958/

Doghouse Drinkery & Dog Park website:
http://www.doghousedrinkery.com/

There's still time to order one of our limited edition Texas Frenchie and Texas Bulldog shirts!.

For a LIMITED TIME ONLY - campaign ends this Saturday, April 23rd! Remember that after printing costs, Short Mugs will receive a check directly from Booster, so these tees are DIRECTLY supporting the dogs in our care! Last fall we raised over $1,000 with this campaign. Think we can beat that?

Get your shirts here, and don't forget to share on your social media pages!

http://tinyurl.com/purpletxfrenchie

http://tinyurl.com/tealtxfrenchie
http://tinyurl.com/graytxbully
http://tinyurl.com/purpletxbully 

Join Short Mugs Rescue Squad on Saturday, March 26th 2016 for our Zumbathon FUNdraiser!  Zumba with Frances is hosting this event to benefit our rescue at Ray Miller Park, 1800 Eldridge Pkwy, Houston, TX 77077.

Cost of participation is $10 for ages 12 years and up.  Children under 12 are free.  Registration starts at 9:30AM and the FUN starts at 10AM.

Come out support rescue and enjoy some family fun!

Short Mugs Rescue Squad Keep Collective Fundraiser

Please join our Keep Collective Fundraiser going on now through Friday, May 8th midnight CST.  Short Mugs Rescue Squad will be receiving 50% of the profit from this fundraiser.  Our goal is to reach $2,000 in sales.  Please help us reach our goal and enjoy creating with this unique jewelry line.  Thanks for participation and remember, at SMRS ALL bullies are worth keeping!

photo courtesy of https://www.keep-collective.com/

Use the link to join the party!
https://www.keep-collective.com/soc/pt87w

4th of July Safety Tips for Dogs

While humans may love fireworks, most dogs do not. In fact, most dogs are terrified of fireworks and the loud noises associated with them.  Given this fact, it's no surprise that more dogs go missing on 4th of July than any other day of the year.  Here are some tips on how to keep your dog safe this 4th of July.

Photo courtesy of Bat Pig and Me.

1. Wear collar with current tags.
The dog's collar should to be fitted securely so that it cannot slip over their heads.  Updating pet tags is very easy.  We updated our tags at a pet i.d tag machine at our local grocery store.  It was fast and affordable.  Just put it on your list of things to get while you're out shopping for 4th of July goodies.

2. Take current pictures of your dog.
You want to make sure you have a current picture of your dog just in case the dogs gets away.  Snap a few pictures with your phone and make sure they are clear.  If you're having trouble get a friend or neighbor to help you get a good picture of your dog.

3. A tired dog is a calm dog.
Taking your dog for a walk or having an extended play session earlier in the day can really help calm their nerves.  If you wear your dog out during the day, they will tend to be more relaxed when all the activity starts later on.

4. Keep the dogs secure at home.
While you may think it's a good idea to take your dog out to a 4th of July celebration, the dog will likely be happier at home.  Keep the dog indoors and have some soothing music on to help drown out loud noises.  If you'll be gone all day, have a friend or relative stay with the dog, or at least stop by and check on them.

5. Use pad locks on fence gates.
Be sure to place a lock that cannot be removed on all fence gates.  If you're having a big backyard bash, people might go through your gates.  If the gate is accidentally left open, your dog can dart out if they become scared.

6. Avoid accidents with fireworks.
Even sparklers can be dangerous to pets.  Whether lit or unlit, dogs should be watched and kept away from all fireworks including sparklers.  An eye injury is very painful and costly, and a sparkler might look like a fun toy to a curious dog.


Have fun this 4th of July and be safe!

I Can't Adopt or Foster Right Now. So How Can I Help Rescue?

One of the biggest questions I get is, how I can help with rescue if I am not able to adopt a dog, or foster dogs?  There are numerous ways to help Short Mugs Rescue Squad.  Although adopting or becoming a foster family is important to the rescue effort, it's not the only way to help.

Cooper is a special needs frenchie that has been in foster care for 8 months.

Rescues are always in need of people to help sponsor the true cost of their dogs.  Every dog listed on our website has a sponsorship button.  That sponsorship button helps cover the cost that their adoptions fees do not.  While Short Mugs does provide an adoption fee for each of their dogs, this is a fraction of what it costs to rescue a dog.  This is a great option for those who are out of state, or for those who do not have the ability to foster/adopt and have a desire to help.  Just think of all the amazing dogs, like Beau, that we would not have been able to save without the generosity of our amazing sponsors.

Graphic courtesy of arfdogs.org

SMRS is always in need of volunteers.  We need people to help with transport, home visits, and pulling all of these cute squishy faces from undesirable situations.  Since Short Mugs covers the entire state of TX, and portions of OK and LA, we need volunteers in all possible adoptable areas that are willing to answer the call when help is needed.  A volunteer able to do a home visit in a remote area of the state is a great asset to any rescue.  Have a special talent? Tell us about it and how you think it could help rescue.  Want to help with our events, just sign up to become a volunteer.

If all of the above isn't something that can occur...how about donating?  There are many different ways you can donate.  Go to our Amazon wishlist.  Donate something for our next online auction.  SMRS is a registered 501(c)3 so all donations are tax deductible.
SMRS Amazon Wish List

You can also become a monthly donor. If 10% of the likes on our Facebook page signed up to give a monthly $20 donation, Short Mugs would be receiving $14,780 monthly. Woohoo! Let's start saving some bullies!  All it takes is a PayPal account.  Just sign up for the payment to be reoccurring monthly by checking the little box.

Do you ever buy things you need on Amazon?  Well, SMRS just happens to be registered on AmazonSmile.  Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Short Mugs whenever you shop on AmazonSmile.  All you have to do is make sure you sign in via AmazonSmile and choose "Short Mugs Rescue Squad" as your charity.  Do this every time you purchase from Amazon.  It's easy and most of us are already shopping for great deals on Amazon.  Black Friday and Cyber Monday could turn into a windfall of cash for some very lucky bullies.

 Amazon Smile Link for Short Mugs Rescue Squad

Ever shop at Kroger?  Why don't you register your Kroger Plus Card to give back to SMRS.  Kroger has a Neighbor to Neighbor program that allows you to support a charity while shopping at their stores.  Within 7 to 10 days of registering your card you will see  “At your request, Kroger is donating to Short Mugs Rescue Squad.”  There are only a handful of Kroger Plus Cards registered for Short Mugs, but this program can really help out non-profits if you think about how often you shop for groceries.  It's as easy as signing up online.
Kroger Community Rewards Link

There really are so many ways to help rescues.  Even simply sharing our blog post, or any post we do on Facebook helps.  There are no small parts.  It takes an army of dedicated people in all walks of life to help save animals.