Photo by Calvin Nuttall. Mayor Marie Blankley and members of the Furever Homes Initiative with two of their dogs
Gilroy students create Furever Homes Initiative that works to connect at-risk pets with loving families
By Calvin Nuttall
In a bold bid to save some of the thousands of dogs in danger of euthanasia in overcrowded shelters, the newly launched Furever Homes Initiative is working to connect these at-risk pets with loving families across the country.
Led by high school students from the Gilroy Unified School District, the Non Governmental Organization aims to save the lives of at-risk dogs by rescuing, rehabilitating, and re-homing them. GECA sophomore Ved Prakash Badoni and his brother Jeet Prakash Badoni decided to found the non-profit back in August, after losing their beloved foster dog.
“It had saddened my entire family for quite a while,” Badoni said. “We overcame it, and said we need to keep moving forward, for Snoopy. We want dogs to live a good life.”
When the brothers learned about the high occurrence of euthanasia in shelters across the country, and California especially, they were horrified, and resolved to do whatever they could to prevent more dogs from dying.
“Almost a million dogs are euthanized in a year, and California ranks second on that, with more than 100,000 dogs euthanized,” Badoni said. “Which is painful, because it means all of those future families that could have had a joyous little furball are now not having that. Kids who could have played with their dogs, or taken them on walks, or learned responsibility by picking up their poop, they don’t get that experience.”
The brothers’ vision for the nonprofit is to create a shelter where they can give these animals happy and healthy lives, even if they are not immediately able to be rehomed.
“We want to give them an environment where they can live with other dogs, and with volunteers, in a loving community,” Badoni said. “They get to be social and enjoy life. Re-homing is the final step, hopefully, for most dogs, which is where we give them to families who will love them.”
Dozens of animal lovers and community supporters gathered to celebrate the launch of the NGO at its ribbon cutting Dec. 1, including Gilroy mayor Marie Blankley.
“I don’t know if you all realize this, but I am the biggest dog lover you will ever meet,” Blankley said. “I am on rescue number nine. I am a big believer in adopting. I am 60 years old, and sadly dogs don’t have the same lifespan as humans, so I have been through quite a few, and I always have more than one. At least two, because dogs are social, and they need playmates.”
In addition to its stated goal of saving animals, the nonprofit also serves the secondary purpose of providing a fun and easy way for Gilroy students to gain volunteer hours by taking care of animals.
“I realized that I couldn’t set up everything on my own, I needed help,” Badoni said. “I reached out to my friends, and got them into a group. I was like, ‘Guys, I need your help with volunteering.’ Through that group, I met more people from different districts and schools. That way, I was able to get a lot of volunteers.”
Still in its early stages, the youth nonprofit is in need of support. Currently without a permanent facility in which to house animals, they do not yet have the capacity to take in dogs, and are seeking donations from the community to use to acquire a shelter of their own.
“Getting funding is the next step,” Badoni said. “So far we have received about $3,000, and that is from my mom sponsoring it through her company, Badoni Behavioral Services, LLC. Hopefully we will get a lot more. We will be reaching out to other organizations wherever we can.”
Blankley ended her remarks at the event with words of encouragement and advice for the ardent group of young volunteers.
“I hope you have the stamina to keep going,” she said. “Like everything, you have to champion your cause over and over and over again. This is a really great cause for you guys to take on.”
Calvin Nuttall is a Morgan Hill-based freelance reporter.
