Rebound the Hound

It’s no secret that I love my neighborhood. I’ve lived many places in my adult life, but Grant Park is the only place where I have known the majority of my neighbors and consider many of them friends. This is the kind of neighborhood where people stop to chat while out walking the dog; where going to the neighborhood farmer’s market is as much about seeing and catching up with friends as it is purchasing wonderful, locally grown organic food; where you can run across the street to snip some rosemary from your neighbor’s garden or borrow a missing ingredient for the night’s dinner. So it is really no surprise that when the warehouse of our local pet supply store, Intown Healthy Hound, was broken into and robbed of approximately $30,000 worth of pet food that our community stepped up to help them out.

Thanks to the incredible efforts of friend and neighbor Phred Huber who organized a fundraising event last night at Hodgepodge Coffeehouse & Gallery and generous food, beer and wine donations from local restaurants, 5 Seasons Westside, Caramba Cafe, Dakota Blue, Home Grown, and Six Feet Under to name a few—there was someone who delivered endless boxes of pizza!—and many hardworking and enthusiastic volunteers, we were able to raise a good amount of money to start them on their way to recovering from such a big loss. 

It was a packed house as people milled around sampling food, listening to awesome live music, and talking to fellow friends and neighbors. And, when Phred announced we needed another $180 to meet our goal, people stepped up, opening their wallets once more to make it happen. It was inspiring! But our work isn’t done, if you live in Grant Park or one of the surrounding neighborhoods, please stop by Intown Health Hound to buy pet supplies and/or bathe your dog. And, please thank Hodgepodge Coffeehouse and the other wonderful restaurants with your patronage, and let them know how much we appreciate them and their efforts. It is truly amazing what a community can do when it pulls together!