image: puppytales.com.au
Cupcakes, puppies, and kittens. What more do you need to bring a smile to your face? Imagine if stuffing your face with delicious cupcakes could help furry little critters. Imagine if I told you that those calories can do good in this world! Go forth! Eat cupcakes!
The popular treats can actually do a good deed. Mark February 25th in your calendars — that is National Cupcake Day for SPCAs and Humane Societies in Canada. Sure, it sounds too easy – just like eating half a dozen cupcakes in one sitting can be easy — but you can help fight animal cruelty with cupcakes. Not by throwing buttercream frosting and sprinkles at puppy mill breeders, but by signing up to host a cupcake party or donating to someone who is.
Marc Ralsky, Director of Community and Donor Development for the OSPCA, is excited about the first National Cupcake Day fundraiser in Canada. 40 SPCAs and Humane Societies across the country have signed up to participate and when we spoke mid-January, 150 people had already registered in Ontario. National Cupcake Day has been a huge success in Australia where it pulled in one million dollars annually to help animals. “This can change the landscape of how we raise money for animal welfare,” says Marc. “Not everyone thinks of us as needing financial support, but we rely on donations to do our work.”
“You had me at cupcakes and puppies!” I blurted out. And that is why Marc is hoping this national fundraiser will be a success. Cupcake party hosts can also choose where they want their money to go. Maybe you’re hosting a cupcake party in Toronto, but you want to help the SPCA back home in Newfoundland — you can do that. Money raised will go to the most needed areas and services such as rescue and release efforts, the care of animals who are victims of abuse or neglect, and getting them healthy and ready for adoption.
Here’s a look at what your cupcake dollars can do:
$30 provides bales of hay to feed farm animals in their care
$50 subsidizes emergency boarding costs of the animals of victims of domestic abuse
$60 provides warm bedding, heat pads and lamps to keep a puppy warm
You don’t have to be a baker to make the day a success. Online donations can be made to the cupcake team of your choice. If you happen to be a baker who wants to make dog-friendly treats, here’s a “pupcake” recipe from the Hostess kit:
Pupcake Recipe — for your four-legged friend!
Serve up these doggy cupcakes in moderation — we don’t want your poodle addicted to strudel!
Pupcake Ingredients:
2 3â„4 cups water
1â„4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1â„4 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup dried apple pieces (you can also use fresh fruit)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 egg, beaten
4 tablespoons honey
Baking Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350°. Spray cupcake tin with cooking spray. Mix wet ingredients thoroughly. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients slowly, scraping well to make sure no dry mixture is left. Pour into cupcake tins. Bake for 30 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the centre and if it comes out dry, they are done. Cool completely and serve. Store in a sealed container. Makes 12-14 pupcakes.
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