Dana McMahon

Special to The CJ

Louisville Vegan Jerky wants to find a home for a pair of dogs at the Louisville Metro Animal Services.

“They're such a special case,” says Vegan Jerky founder Stan Chase. “They were supposed to be put down months ago but [Metro Animal Services] is doing everything they can. I'm really pulling for them.”

Pit bulls Josephine, 3, and Scrappy, 2, have been together their whole lives and have to be adopted together. Scrappy needs eye surgery to prevent going blind. Chase and the rest of the Vegan Jerky team are so determined to find them homes that the company will pay the adoption fees and surgical expenses for the adopter – and throw in a free six-month subscription to their jerky of the month club.

Vegan Jerky started donating money to animal sanctuaries with $1 per box of their jerky club about six months ago. “We talk a lot at work about what can we do that's an action that's positive,” Chase says. It came to them that they could help with shelters. “We've got 4000 or so Facebook fans and we're on Instagram,” he says. “It's about getting people to share it and that domino effect.”

Fans of the company immediately began sharing their post. “The great thing about social media, just sharing the pictures is enough sometimes. It does work,” Chase said.

The dogs “have little beds and toys, but they're confined,” at the shelter, Chase says. “When we brought them outside, they just wanted to walk around and look at the sun and the clouds.”

Chase has a list of 40 dogs he wants to feature, but he put these first. “These two are the most disadvantaged and have the least likelihood of being adopted by people coming through to look for dogs,” he says. Acknowledging the perceptions people have about pit bulls – although these two, he says, are so gentle – “I don't know who in the world will take them, but hopefully someone will.” And if it happens, he says, “We'll throw a party.”

More information: https://www.facebook.com/Louisvilleveganjerkycompany.

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