In the last 10 years, Friends of Fido has helped close to 1,500 Mahoning County Dog Pound dogs, paying more than $608,000 in vet bills.
      The non-profit group plans a big 10-year anniversary fundraiser Nov. 13 to help continue that work.
      FoF started in 2011 when volunteers who walk the pound pups wanted to do more to help the dogs that came in sick or injured.
      “The Mahoning Dog Warden is a government agency and its funding is limited,” said Shirley Tkalec, Friends of Fido president. “But so many of the dogs that end up here come in sick or injured, many severely. Our group started to help those poor dogs—to help them get healthy and to hopefully help them find loving, forever homes.”
      FoF members estimate the organization takes pound pups to about 200 vet visits each year with volunteers transporting the dogs and the group footing the bills.
      The volunteer organization runs entirely on donations.
      The Nov. 13 fundraiser will be at Davidson’s Restaurant and Tavern, and feature a huge basket raffle and 50/50 drawing. Davidson’s is at 3636 Canfield Rd., Cornersburg.
      The event, sponsored by T-Mobile, runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The first 75 people to buy tickets for the basket raffle will each get a $10 Davidson’s gift card, courtesy of T-Mobile.
      T-Mobile is also offering a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card and company representatives will hand out 225 collapsible dog bowls to people who attend the event.
      FoF also buys treats, toys and beds for the pound dogs. Pound staff and volunteers walk the dogs and help to socialize them to increase the animals’ adoption chances.
      “Fundraisers are crucial because that’s how we pay to treat these dogs,” FoF’s president said.
      “Sadly, there’s no shortage of homeless dogs that need vet care. So far this year, we’ve taken 149 dogs to the vet, some multiple times. That’s added up to more than $85,000 just through September. The need never stops so we can’t stop either,” she added.