We jumped at the chance to help one of Kansas City’s largest no-kill animal shelters, Animal Haven. It houses so many pets and is constantly in need of anything from paper towels and blankets to food and toys. And very recently, two of its locations were burglarized. In what’s already proving to be a low-donation year, these developments are devastating.

So the VML Spark Squad hosted Give Paws a Chance, a donation drive, to collect items on Animal Haven’s wish list. We also held a culminating happy hour event at the end of the drive week.

The event was a great success! Admission to the happy hour was one donation item or $5. We had refreshments, including dog-shaped cookies and a signature cocktail called “Drool-ade.” We also raised money by holding a raffle that included both pet-related and general items. Pet owners could also participate in a “Guess how many dog biscuits are in the jar” game. The winner won the 276 dog biscuits (4 pounds!) to take home to a four-legged friend.

The event, coupled with a VML Foundation contribution, raised $1,000 and hundreds of donation items … enough to cause some serious tail wagging.