Ruff Start Animal Rescue Foundation

09/01/2026

Our little Chewie is now ready to find his home ♥️ You can find his bio up on our website!

Please keep in mind that we are looking for a every specific home for Chewie and applications without those requirements will not be contacted.

The difference just a little over 3 weeks can make! 🥹🤍🐾

Is it me, or did his smile get bigger?

Or is it just because we can finally SEE it now? 😂

Same sweet boy. Different dog 🐾🤍

Love, patience, good food and a whole lot of care can do some pretty amazing things.

08/28/2026

❤️ Our village showed up. ❤️

Yesterday we put out a plea for help, and we were honestly blown away by the response.

$580 was donated, and we also have some much-needed items from our Amazon Wishlist on their way to our foster homes. 🥹🐾

Thank you. Truly.

With roughly 30 dogs currently in our care, we have a lot of medical expenses ahead of us—dentals, spays and neuters, Spot’s leg surgeries, and ongoing veterinary care. Yesterday’s support made a difference, but we still have a long way to go toward our $5,000 goal.

We can cover the bills in front of us, but doing so would leave our account essentially empty. We need to replenish our medical fund so we can continue helping dogs in need and avoid having to pause intakes.

So, with very grateful hearts, we’re continuing to ask for your help. ❤️

If you’re able to donate, every dollar helps us get closer to our goal. And if you can’t, sharing this post is just as appreciated.

Thank you for showing us once again what an incredible community we have behind Ruff Start. We are so grateful for every single one of you. 🐾❤️

Help us keep going: https://www.ruffstartanimalrescue.com/donatetoday

08/27/2026

We Need Our Village ❤️

We don’t love making posts like this.

We never want Ruff Start to feel like we’re always asking for money or that your support is something we take for granted. We are incredibly grateful for every person who has helped us get to where we are today.

But sometimes, rescue has a way of saying, “Okay, we need our village right now.”

And this is one of those times.

With roughly 30 dogs currently in our care, we have some significant expenses coming up. We have dentals, spays and neuters, and surgeries ahead—including Spot’s upcoming leg surgeries. We can cover the bills that are currently in front of us, but doing so would leave our rescue account essentially empty.

That’s a scary place for a rescue to be.

We’re hoping to raise $5,000 to help replenish our medical fund and make sure we can continue saying YES when dogs need us.

And if monetary donations aren’t possible right now, our wishlist could really use some love, too. ❤️

Our current high-priority items include:

🐾 FortiFlora
🐾 Honest Kitchen dehydrated food
🐾 Wet wipes
🐾 Enzyme cleaner
🐾 Paper towel
🐾 Beef liver treats

These may seem like little things, but with 30 dogs in foster care, everyday supplies disappear quickly—and things like FortiFlora and quality food can be especially important for dogs with sensitive stomachs or medical needs.

There is absolutely no pressure to give. We know everyone has their own bills, families and responsibilities. But if you’re in a position to help, whether it’s $5, $25, a bag of food, a package of wipes, or anything in between, it truly makes a difference.

You can donate through our website, where we have several different donation options available, or shop directly from our wishlist:

❤️ Website: https://www.ruffstartanimalrescue.com/donatetoday
🛒 Amazon Wishlist: https://www.amazon.ca/hz/wishlist/ls/2RXOWMZEK2M4G?ref_=wl_share

And honestly, even if you can’t donate, sharing this post helps us more than you might realize.

We’re so proud of what this little rescue has accomplished, and we couldn’t do it without the people standing behind us.

Thank you for helping us keep showing up for the dogs who need us. ❤️

08/26/2026

Update on Neegan 💙

Our sweet senior boy Neegan has been settling into foster care, and we have to say… our team is falling head over heels for this big guy! 🥹

At 9 years old, Neegan is such a gentle, friendly soul who absolutely loves everyone he meets. He has been incredibly well behaved and has taken all the changes that come with his new lifestyle like a total champ.

One thing is very clear: Neegan has a major weight-loss journey ahead of him! 😂 This handsome boy is carrying quite a few extra pounds, so we’ll be helping him get to a healthier weight slowly and safely. Thankfully, he seems very accepting of his new routine, and we’re excited to watch him feel better and better as the pounds come off. ❤️

Next week, Neegan will be visiting our veterinary team for a full wellness check so we can get a better picture of his overall health and make sure we have the best plan moving forward.

There will be lots more updates to come as we continue getting to know this wonderful guy!

And when the time comes, Neegan will be looking for a very special family — one who understands just how incredible senior dogs are and loves them as much as we do. 🐾❤️

08/26/2026

‼️Urgent‼️we need a ride from Didsbury to Calgary for two chihuahuas on Thursday evening (August 27). Do we have a volunteer that can help? Gas cost can be reimbursed 🙏

08/24/2026

We didn’t get many photos at the The 8th Annual Carstairs Show & Shine because we were so busy meeting amazing people, businesses and dogs … but here’s the few photos we did get ♥️

Thank you again to everyone for coming out and supporting this great event! 🐾

08/24/2026

The winner of our cruising and caring 50/50 is……

08/23/2026

A big thank you to everyone to came out to support this amazing event! It was a great day and we can’t wait to do it all over again next year ♥️

❤️ 184 VEHICLES. TWO AMAZING CHARITIES. ONE INCREDIBLE COMMUNITY. ❤️

As we wrap up another Carstairs Show & Shine, we are honestly overwhelmed with gratitude.

This year, 184 incredible vehicles rolled in to support our event and, most importantly, to help us support two amazing charities — Ruff Start Animal Rescue Society and Hope 4 MVC Kids. 🐾❤️

To every single person who brought out their car, truck or special ride — THANK YOU. Whether you came from down the road or travelled to be here, you helped make this event what it was.

To our sponsors — we truly could not do this without you. Your generosity, support and willingness to invest in our community means more than we can put into words. Events like this don’t happen because of one person or one business. They happen because incredible local businesses and organizations step forward and say, “We want to be part of something that brings our community together.”

To our vendors — thank you for bringing your businesses, products, food, talent and energy to the show. You helped create an atmosphere that was so much more than a car show. You made it a full community event where families could spend the day together, shop local, eat, laugh and make memories.

A very special thank you to the Alberta Mustangs Auto Club for showing up in a BIG way this year! 🐎❤️ Not only did you bring out some beautiful vehicles, but you jumped right in and helped us park cars, keep things organized and hand out awards. Having your club there to lend a hand made such a difference, and we are incredibly grateful for your support and willingness to help wherever you were needed. Thank you for being such an amazing part of this year’s show!

And to every volunteer, staff member, entertainer and person working behind the scenes — THANK YOU. There are countless hours that go into making a day like this happen, and every single one of you played a part in its success.

And now for some news we are SO excited to share… 🥁❤️

Our incredible Title Sponsor, Champion Ford, has already committed to returning as the TITLE SPONSOR for the 9th Annual Carstairs Show & Shine in 2027!! 🎉🚘

Having a business believe in this event enough to commit to another year before we’ve even had time to recover from this one means the absolute world to us. Thank you, Champion Ford, for believing in our vision, supporting our community and helping us continue to grow this event year after year.

When we see 184 vehicles filling the grounds, families walking around together, kids having fun, local businesses being supported and money being raised for organizations doing incredible work, it reminds us exactly why we do this.

This isn’t just a car show.

It’s community. It’s giving back. It’s supporting local. It’s people coming together for something bigger than themselves. ❤️

From all of us at Black Tie & Bourbon Events and JayAm Entertainment, THANK YOU for making this year’s Carstairs Show & Shine one we will never forget.

We are so incredibly grateful for every person who showed up, sponsored, donated, volunteered, participated, shared a post or simply came out to support us.

And somehow… we’re already excited to do it all over again. 😉

🏁 See you August 21, 2027 for the 9th Annual Carstairs Show & Shine! 🏁

184 vehicles this year… let’s see what we can do next year! ❤️🚘🔥



Procalibre Renovations Inc.
Mountain West Promotions
AMA - Alberta Motor Association
Ruff Start Animal Rescue Foundation
Hope 4 MVC Kids
Alberta Power Sports
JayAm Entertainment
Black Tie & Bourbon Events LTD
The Carstairs Hair Company
Carstairs Elks #556

08/21/2026

Please join us in giving a very warm welcome to Neegan! ❤️

Neegan is a big, handsome senior fella who, unfortunately, found himself in need of a new home when his family could no longer care for him. We’re so grateful they trusted us to help him find his next chapter. 🐾

He’s been quite the gentleman so far as we get to know him, and we’re looking forward to discovering all the little things that make Neegan Neegan. 🥰

Soon, he’ll be heading to our vet for a full wellness check to make sure we have a good picture of his health and what he may need moving forward. Once he’s settled in, checked out, and ready, we hope he’ll be looking for his forever family in just a few weeks. ❤️

And if you know us, you know we absolutely LOVE our seniors! 🥹 There’s just something so special about these older souls. They have so much love to give, so much life left to live, and they deserve to spend their golden years surrounded by people who adore them.

Welcome to Ruff Start, sweet Neegan. We’re so happy you’re here. ❤️🐾

Your next chapter starts now. 🏡✨