Husky Haven of Florida Wants Your Old Shoes

I recently came across a fundraiser that piqued my interest when I realized it involved item-purging and dogs, two distinct loves of my life.

The type of dog, a Siberian Husky, was significant also as my sister owned one up in Michigan many years ago. Hers was affected by heterochromia so “Wolf” had one blue eye and one brown eye. But living in Florida, I was surprised that this hot, humid environment would be suitable for these dogs with such beautiful, thick coats of fur. As it turns out, they are perfect for a loving Florida home and are, unfortunately, also in need of some community care. Who knew a bunch of old shoes might be part of the solution to help the Siberian Huskies?

We are taking a hard-left turn here, but has anyone heard of a micro-enterprise? Basically, a micro-enterprise represents individuals in deeply impoverished countries who, though very limited in resources or start-up capital, have found innovative ways to provide income for their families and employment opportunities within their areas. The folks at Husky Haven have partnered with Funds2Orgs to collect used shoes which will ultimately benefit these “micro-enterprise” individuals.

Here’s how it works: You, me and everyone with extra shoes, in other words – – all of us, collect and rubber band our pairs of shoes and contact Husky Haven for drop off. (So far, I have a couple dozen ready to go.) Funds2Orgs issues a check to Husky Haven for the shoes collected. The footwear Is sold to operators in developing nations for a nominal fee, which is in turn sold to the micro-entrepreneurs with a minimal markup. The shoes are cleaned and repaired and sold within the communities of these individuals for a profit. Given the devastating economic nature these individuals deal with daily it is commendable that they have the prowess to lift others up.

So, let’s get this straight; you get to purge your closet of old shoes, support financial independence of desperate people across the globe, AND support cute doggies? This is a no-brainer good deed we can all get behind. And Husky Haven of Florida? They are responsible for saving hundreds of Siberian Huskies, discarded or uncared for by people who didn’t understand their needs with regards to the Florida climate. Needs that are not that different from other dog breeds but there seems to be a lack of training and follow-up when these animals are adopted, something Husky Haven of Florida strives to improve upon. They even assist with adoption of the “handicapables,” or dogs with special needs. At Husky Haven, every Siberian Husky deserves a loving home and their trove of volunteers is consistently going above and beyond to make that happen. And that is why they are getting all my old shoes.

The current fundraising shoe-drive for Husky Haven runs through April 30th, with collection sites in Englewood to be announced. If you have a few extra pairs of shoes that you would like to donate, please contact HuskyhavenFl@gmail.com. You can also learn more about them here on their FB page.

Photos courtesy of Joan Robson.