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Hot, hot, hot! Firefighters and rescue pets
No-kill animal shelter + firefighter calendar = sizzling success for rescue pets. (Check it out to support those precious pets. And we promise not to snitch if you accidentally catch a glimpse of a smokin hot firefighter, either.)
You may remember Caitlyn, the darling doggie who gained national attention when she was discovered with her muzzle sealed shut with electrical tape. (Read more about Caitlyn's rescue here.) With care from the veterinary team at Veterinary Specialty Care in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, Caitlyn is on the mend and igniting interest for another hot topic-the first No Kill Community in the Southeast that played a role in her rescue.
Caitlyn is one of the canine models blazing a trail for rescue pets with firefighters in the 2016 Charleston Area Firefighter Calendar, created with a partnership between the Charleston Animal Society and Charleston area fire departments.
The spark of the idea for a calendar came to Caroline Eller, director of special projects for Charleston Animal Society in North Charleston, South Carolina, during her first week on the job. The idea was doused because some worried interest in print calendars had mostly extinguished, but the ember of the idea remained with Eller.
After Charleston Fire Department partnered with Charleston Animal Society for an adoption and awareness event, Captain Pete Salvo fanned the flames by asking Eller if she'd be interested in doing a calendar with his dashing smoke jumpers. In a flash, they paired these hometown heroes with meltingly cute rescue animals.
The first year of the calendar netted a scorching $107,000, and in the second year interest flared, bringing the charity to a total of $250,000. Their goal for 2016: to toast their previous record and bring in a scalding $500,000 to fund all of the society's medical expenses for the year.
All calendar proceeds benefit Toby's fund, the society's medical fund to treat injured, abused and abandoned animals. Preorder a 2016 calendar at charlestonfirefightercalendar.com.
Caitlyn and Firefighter Josh Allen spend some time bonding before their cuddle session in front of the camera for the 2016 Charleston Area Firefighter Calendar. Photos courtesy of Charleston Animal Society.
