As a group, the furries really made a great impression today. Everyone was polite and respectful and engaging and fun. It was just what a fundraiser like this needed, and they called us rockstars. And we were!

You all should be VERY proud of yourselves.

$33, 735 raised! — Careless Whiskers (@dogbomb1) November 11, 2018

Inspirational furry, Vet Tech, and champion of ALS awareness Dogbomb (Tony Barrett) has led the fandom with a notable achievement for charity. In the second weekend of November, a small army of furry supporters came out for his Walk To Defeat ALS event in Southern California. Their goal was to raise awareness and research funds for this fatal disease with no cure (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease).

Patch O’Furr spoke to San Francisco Bay Area furry Zarafa Giraffe, after his return from the weekend in SoCal. It drew furries who drove from Northern California and even flew in from other states. Zarafa gave a rough estimate of 75-100 furries at the walk that he estimated as mid to high hundreds – making them a significant chunk of the whole event, as well as a third of the entire donations.

It’s been an amazing day. Walk to fight ALS for @dogbomb1 this morning. (over $30K raised by furs!) THEN SoCalFurBQ w/300 furs this afternoon! So much community, caring, snugs and hugs! Huge thanks to @TripECollie & @gjsabala for organizing the Walk, & @Catwoman69y2k for the BBQ! pic.twitter.com/n3UrUluSR0 — Zarafa (@Zarafagiraffe) November 11, 2018

The walk synched with a FurBQ where Zarafa estimated 300 in attendance (perhaps the high end of size for local furmeets less formal than cons). Meeting many new members encouraged him to make more trips to participate. That’s the kind of snowball effect that builds up to bigger things, and gives them power to reach out and make the world better.

That fandom power propelled both Dogbomb and the furry team all the way to the top of the fundraising leaderboard on the alsa.org webpage.

SoCal was just amazing this weekend! Instead of photos, I have sneak peek videos of the events! Full versions soon!

Special thank you to those who donated and/or walked in at the ALS event. You guys are the best! 🧡 #TeamTonyALS @dogbomb1

🎥@TripECollie @RykerHusky pic.twitter.com/RLmhFa770U — Chatah (CA🔜VA) (@ChatahSpots) November 12, 2018

See past stories from 2011 and 2018 about Dogbomb and his outstanding fursuiting.

Tony Barrett, the human behind the dog, was diagnosed with ALS in early 2018, putting this already well known member of fandom even further in its heart. He chronicles the disease’s progress with pictures and tweets on his Twitter, @dogbomb1. While ALS’s effects are devastating, as it weakens muscles to the point where the person is unable to do everyday tasks, Dogbomb has kept his sense of humor throughout, saying “ALS can Kiss My Fuzzy Butt!”.

For example, he posts a picture for every fall he has taken, with commentary of his surroundings on the floor:

Fall # 1637.

An unintentional left pirouette landed me in CLP territory.

Lucky for me, the locals were friendly, and welcomed me with lix and the finest doggie farts. pic.twitter.com/VbPg16r7Ib — Careless Whiskers (@dogbomb1) September 14, 2018

He also has encouraged the fandom to not quit and keep moving forward, no matter what’s stacked against you. The message comes with videos and pictures of him walking around, well past the date of when he was told by doctors that a wheelchair would be necessary.

The fandom’s appreciation for Dogbomb isn’t just shown in the donations they have sent in. Many fans are also doing encouraging Tweets and responses to him. Here’s ones from Scotty Minotaur, and Gale Frostbane, with Back Paw Scratcher echoing the sentiment:

This is the @dogbomb1 cutting a ribbon yesterday to begin the ALS Walk. His doctor said he should’ve been in a wheelchair by now. Screw ALS. This man is a warrior! 💪 pic.twitter.com/u8gIWACbA0 — ✨Scotty✨ (@scottyminotaur) November 11, 2018

It's done for you what you've done for us. Shared love and enthusiasm and kindness. You're something special and incredible, a true treasure. Your fursuiting stories inspired so many of us and now your fight stories inspired more. You're beautiful and you're loved 💜 — Gale Frostbane 🔜 MFF (@NexusFolf) November 10, 2018

The fandom is a mirror. We each get out of it what we bring.



So the reason why the fandom is amazing for you should be very obvious ❤️ — BackPaw Scratcher (@BackPawScratch) November 10, 2018

The Walk to Defeat ALS is a yearly fundraiser put on by the ALS Association. Walks are scheduled throughout the US, at different locations through the year. Individuals and teams compete to raise the most money in sponsorships. This walk, in conjunction with the Ice Bucket Challenge, are two of many ways that the ALS Association raises funds and awareness for research to help treat and prevent ALS.

Dogbomb’s walk was November 10th, but they’re still accepting online donations. To donate to his campaign, search for “Tony Barrett” on the donations page.

Please go to alsa.org for more information on ALS, or to find your local ALSA chapter. You can help wherever you are.

According to Zarafa Giraffe, the fundraiser organizers told the Dogbomb team: “We don’t know how you’re doing this, but keep it going!” So what was the secret to their amazing achievement? Can science find out?

There’s no secret, it’s just an instinct. Call it a furry thing.

– Tuck Tucker and Patch O’Furr

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