The Capitals have not put out a canine calendar for 2021. Their previous pup-laden stocking stuffers had traditionally been a big deal for regional animal rescue Homeward Trails. Last year’s calendar raised 100,00 dollars for the non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.

Missing that big pile of cash will make an already-tough year even tougher for the good people and pups and kittens of HT. We at RMNB have made a small donation to help fill the gap, but they’ll need more than petty blogger cash.

So here are some ways to support a good organization — plus eight great adoptable pups that might be the perfect addition to your home.

First, here’s our humble donation.

You can make a tax-deductible donation at Homeward Trails’ website, which shows how far your money can go:

$250 pays for a dog to be fully vaccinated, heartworm tested and spayed/neutered
$100 pays for a puppy’s or kitten’s vaccines and food for two weeks or a spay/neuter
$50 pays for fuel to pick up animals from one of our rural shelter partners
$25 pays for a heartworm test or one month of cat food for Meow Manor

Homeward Trails also has an Amazon wishlist for items badly needed by their Adoption center. RMNB has sent them a handful of flea/tick medicine for any itchy pups and kittens.

But here’s why we’re all really here. I have spent my entire Saturday afternoon analyzing HT’s available dogs for adoption. Here are eight very special people that should be in your family.

Fern

Fern is a very special lady. She’s a five-year-old terrier gal who was rescued from a hoarding situation. She’s a shy lass, but she’s hoping you can help become her confident best self.

Leo

Leo is very special fellow. A two-year-old husky with heterochromia, Leo has some separation anxiety, which is not going to be a big problem if you’re spending all your time at home these days. I bet Leo prefers Low.

Goliath

Goliath is a very special dude, whose former human had to travel too much. Goliath is a two-year-old shar-pei mix. I assume the other breed in the mix is snugglebunny, as that’s all Goliath wants to do. He’s a mellow boy. Think of him like a big weighted blanket, except you are going to have to feed this weighted blanket and let it out to go potty several times a day,

Pickles

Pickles is a very special boy. He’s an American pit-bull terrier mix fresh out of the oven. He’s got also sister named Plum. You need to see a picture of Pickles and Plum and their siblings … and their very excited mum.

Penny

Penny is a very special person. She’s a petite nine-year-old who just wants to cuddle with you. Penny has megaesophagus, which sounds scary, but it just means she needs some special attention around mealtime. You can basically just put her upright in a high chair for a while, and she’ll be fine.

Sally

Sally is a very special lady. She’s a corgi currently in deep cover disguised as a shepherd. She is fun and affectionate, but due to her top-secret assignment, she can sometimes be a bit cautious around new people. Over time, you and Sally will build up a rapport, and she will read you in on her spy-corgi missions.

Sheba

Sheba is a very special mom. She just had a litter of pups, but she’s only three years old, so she’s still got plenty of puppy mischief in her. Sheba is silly and gets along well with dogs, but she is reportedly “a little too interested in cats”, which is hilarious and worth noting for prospective Sheba-people.

Lola

Lola is an extremely special lady. She is a a six-year who has spent most of her life with a family until just recently. She’s the “big mama” of the shelter —  a big lady (82 lbs) with a big heart. She can be a leery of strangers, but after introductions you will become her Person, and being Lola’s Person is a very good thing to be.

Please help us spread the word, so we can do more good together for our community.

And big thanks to our pal Karen for the head’s up about this.