Bright and early Saturday morning Hardknox Strength & Performance Barbell Club was bustling with activity as members showed up for a morning workout at the gym. However, these members had a goal beyond just fitness but to help some furry friends in need right here in Brownsville.
Called “Pumps for Pups,” the fundraiser hosted by Hardknox Strength & Performance Barbell Club raised money for local nonprofit Brownsville Animal Defense (BAD), an all-volunteer army of animal advocates that work to help dogs in need in the community through education on proper animal care, adoption and working with the local animal shelter for dogs that have been abandoned or need specialized care.
“It was awesome. It’s the first event of this kind that we have hosted and my husband and I have always said that people want to help, you just need to give them an opportunity to help. Our members were really excited for it and even though a lot of them couldn’t make it they donated,” Kassandra McClanahan, co-owner of Hardknox Strength & Performance Barbell Club, said.
The fundraiser asked members to buy-in to a $20 workout at the gym on Saturday morning, with a goal of $1,600, and if anyone could provide additional donations of dog and puppy food, leashes, collars and harnesses of all sizes to help meet BAD’s current needs. Vendors alongside several dogs available for adoption were also on-site for attendees.
As is the story with many local organizations, BAD was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and the fight to raise funds to keep their mission going is an ongoing concern.
“Last year we took a very bad hit on COVID-19, it depleted everything. We stopped everything. We had to minimize everything and that really put a dampener on us. We had to use a lot of the funds that we had in reserve and that is why right now we are having to reach out to the public for help,” Tony Lopez, president of BAD, said.
In addition to raising funds for their everyday needs, one furry friend in particular was the main focus of the fundraising effort, a dog called Bucky. Nicknamed the $10,000 dog, the 5-month-old terrier mix was injured after accidentally being run over by his owner with a car.
BAD took on the challenge of helping make Bucky well again, but the damage to Bucky’s legs was worse than they initially thought.
“He actually ran over his entire legs and broke them apart and [Bucky] needed extensive surgery so we took him to San Antonio. That’s where he is costing us $10,000. He needs a follow-up surgery and treatment and that’s going to be $5,000 so we are going try and raise it,” said Lopez.
Not counting Saturday’s fundraising efforts, Lopez estimates that they need to find around $7,500-$8,000 in funds to help cover Bucky’s care.
The overwhelming response to Saturday’s event is a positive step forward for BAD in their current goals. Lopez joked that it was “hair raising” how many turned up or offered donations.
Organizer Ashley Benavides, who volunteers with BAD and is a member at the gym, was less surprised by the turnout. Knowing the owner’s passion for helping the community and the general attitude of her fellow members she was certain people would heed BAD’s call for help.
“I knew that people would come through for this cause,” Benavides said.
While the fundraiser met some of BAD’s immediate needs, any donations are welcome from the community. Particularly BAD is in need of pads, leashes and any other dog items the community can spare. In addition, any monetary donations are welcome to help with their day-to-day operations and Bucky’s care.
“Anything that you can donate we will gladly accept it to help dogs,” Lopez said.
For more information you can reach out to the organization by phone (956)- 551-0119, on Facebook at Brownsville Animal Defense – BAD or at their website www.brownsvilleanimaldefense.org
