On November 11^th, 2023, a small, frail puppy came through Animal Allies‘ doors and quickly warmed the hearts of many.

Early the next morning, the puppy, named Lovebug, passed away. One year later, though Lovebug is gone, his legacy remains strong.

“We were never lucky enough to have the time that we had hoped to have with him, to get to know him and spoil him. So, we decided really early on that the best way we could kind of heal from it was ensuring that his story was never forgotten,” said Nicole Facciotto, Humane Education Manager at Animal Allies.

In the hours Lovebug was in the care of Animal Allies, the community came together to raise over $14,000 to help with his medical expenses.

Now, Animal Allies hopes to honor Lovebug by hosting a 24-hour fundraiser to help more pets in need.

“We kind of always knew that every year, around this time, we were going to just do what we could to remind the community of what this dog meant and what he represents, and, you know, use the power of his story to help try to raise funds to help more animals like this little guy here and all of the injured and sick and animals that have come from scary situations,” said Facciotto.

Lovebug’s legacy has not only helped pets in Animal Allies care, but also those who need help in the community.

“Ever since this story kind of got all that widespread attention, we’ve seen such a shift in how many people are calling and are saying, you know, “I’m not 100% sure, but I just suspect something.” and that’s really, really important that if you see something, say something. That’s the way that you’re going to be able to help intervene. We’ve been getting a lot of officers that, thanks to community tips, are able to get on site and get some animals out of pretty sticky situations, get them into our care faster,” said Facciotto.

And Lovebug’s Legacy will continue to touch the community for years to come.

Click here to learn more about Lovebug’s Legacy. To donate, click here.