Dogs with homes can help raise funds for homeless dogs. It’s a great way for owners to meet other dog owners and take dogs out for a social experience. You can generate revenue in many ways, including entry fees, asking companies to sponsor the event, awarding cash prizes with proceeds awarded to animal shelters or rescues, etc. Include categories of prizes to include several winners. Good ways to find ideas in your community are checking events at state fairs, pet or dog magazines, newspaper pet sections, etc. You can have special events just for fundraising or ask for a portion of the revenue for an already scheduled event. Here are ten fundraising ideas you can try:

Dog dancing. Dog dancing classes are frequently offered through dog trainers or pet boutiques.

Sheepherding trials. Find information at the American Herding Breed Association.

Dock dogs events. See Dockdogs for many events and groups all over the country. This activity is fun to watch and a good way to raise money.

K9 police dog exhibitions.

Agility trials. Search for “agility trial” or “agility event” and you’ll see many websites which list these. Find those in your area and contact the sponsors of these events to find ways to partner with them.

Dog walks. See our previous post on How to Make a Dog Walk Successful

Fundraising by dogs online. Set up fundraising pages in dogs’ names; compete with other dogs to raise the most money in a specified time. You could use online services such as Donation Pages or Chipin for this.

Pet photo contest for shelter website, calendar, or local newspaper.

Pet parade. Charge an entry fee and/or ask each pet to find sponsors for specific donation amounts. Ask attendees to vote for “best of” parade entries, such as best dressed, most creative, etc.

Partner with pet-friendly hotels which collect pet fees for a portion of their revenue. See more about this at Find a Fundraising Partner to Help Homeless Pets.

It’s always good public relations for sponsors of dog-related events to help homeless dogs. Don’t be shy about making contact with them.