Reaching Out, Helping Out
Community Outreach
Caring for Our Community
The Canine Connection, LLC is more than just a business. Our core values include extending our work beyond the walls of our center, outward to the community we love. We are dedicated to helping communities, people, and dogs in need. Together, we can make our community - our world - a better place for dogs and the people who love them and care for them.
Fundraising and Contributions
We’ve raised over $128,000 for Chico Animal Shelter and Butte Humane Society! With your support, The Canine Connection has made a big difference!
2014 to 2023 – $100,000+ raised for Chico Animal Shelter
Our annual fundraiser, Walk Woof Wag, and other fundraising efforts for Chico Animal Shelter causes have raised over $90,000 for Chico Animal Shelter! Read more about this annual event HERE!
2011 to 2013 – $28,000+ raised for Butte Humane Society
TEAM CANINE CONNECTION raised over $28,000 for Butte Humane Society through Bidwell Bark. In 2011, we were the top fundraising team, and placed second and third in other years. We’re mighty proud that our little business could do so much!
Therapy Pet Squad
Our Therapy Dog Squad, comprised of people and their pets who have successfully completed all requirements to become Pet Partner volunteers, has been bringing joy to area agencies for over a decade. Pet Partners is a national organization that adheres to the highest standards for therapy pet evaluations and programs.
Dr. Sarah has been a licensed evaluator for Pet Partners since 2005 and a Pet Partner since 1998. She frequently holds evaluations for potential Pet Partner teams (a team is the person and animal that are evaluated together).
For further information about becoming a Pet Partner, please visit their website HERE. Please note that there are numerous steps involved in becoming a Pet Partner, with the team evaluation being the culminating step. To discuss preparing joining our Therapy Dog Squad, including questions about training for your dog, please contact us training@thecanineconnection.com or (530) 228-2822.
Community Emergency Response
Dr. Sarah founded “Camp Fire Foster Animal Connection” which organized placement of Camp Fire impacted in animals in foster homes while their families found housing and stability.
She and her Canine Connection team served as long-term volunteers in Camp Fire emergency animal shelters.
The Canine Connection provided housing and organized adoptions for Northwest SPCA dogs displaced during the Oroville Dam Evacuation….
And organized and delivered daily donations to NVADG shelters during Camp and Carr Fires...
And partnered with Friends of Chico Animal Shelter to conduct no-cost microchip clinic at The Canine Connection in May 2019, resulting in almost 344 dogs and cats getting microchipped!
Dr. Sarah is a North Valley Animal Disaster Group volunteer.
Rudy and Shadow, Unclaimed Camp Fire Dogs, Find Homes
Watch this heartwarming video of Rudy and Shadow, two unclaimed Camp Fire dogs with animal shelter volunteers, Dr. Sarah and Tamara, on their way to their permanent homes. Spoiler alert: Rudy was adopted by Dr. Sarah :-)
“Sarah is a total hero to the animals in our community.
When the Oroville dam crisis happened, and the Northwest SPCA animal shelter had to be evacuated… she took 16 of the more challenging dogs in at The Canine Connection, organized a troop of her paid staff and volunteers to walk and care for them, and found homes or fostered herself almost all the dogs so they did not have to return to the shelter. For 5 years, she has organized Walk Woof Wag (helping Chico youth Bryce Velasco realize his dream of creating an event to help Chico Animal Shelter), a huge undertaking, to raise tens of thousands of dollars for the shelter’s medical fund. She has created an army of helpers since the Camp Fire to care for and help foster and home the displaced animals. I could go on….”
-Kym Casperson, Chico CA
