Photo gallery: Warrior Dog Rescue event at mall

Eden Prairie Center’s main court was filled with furry friends from Warrior Dog Rescue (WDR) on March 30. This marked the organization’s second adoption event at the mall this year.

According to Diana Bakken, director and founder of WDR, the event was busy with mall shoppers for its entire three-hour run.

“Having the opportunity to talk to people about adopting, fostering and volunteering is always important to a non-profit rescue organization and making those relationships,” Bakken said.  

Fosters are always needed, and the rescue covers all expenses, including medical care, food, and components required for the adoption process.

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For those hesitant to start fostering, Bakken says, “If they could see the world through the same glasses that we, who are in rescue, see the world, there is no way people would say no to fostering if they are passionate about dogs.”

If fostering isn’t the right fit, Bakken encourages becoming a trained volunteer, offering the opportunity to spend time with puppies and understand the rescue’s needs more deeply.

WDR has worked with Heart of Alabama Save, Rescue, Adopt (HASRA) since 2017. “The team at HASRA are some of our very best friends because we share the passion and love for the dogs who are abandoned, sick, injured, homeless, or left wandering,” Bakken said. 

The organization spends weeks with a “boots on the ground” effort in the HASRA shelter, working to grasp the realities of frontline animal welfare work.

“It changes your view, and you see the need through a different lens that you cannot unsee,” Said Bakken.

Warrior Dog Rescue is holding its annual fundraiser, “Warriors and Wags,” on July 13. The event will be held at their facility in Savage and will feature a silent auction, live music, food trucks, dog toys and treats, a doggie kissing booth, and tours of the facility they call “The Dog House.”