About Pups for Peace

How You Can Help Pups for Peace

Pups for Peace History
In 2002, during Passover dinner at the Park Hotel in Netanya, a suicide bomber killed 30 and injured 140 innocent civilians. Horrified by the vicious attack and others like it, a group of concerned American Jews was moved to do something to prevent such devastating events in the future.  Within a short period of time “Pups for Peace” was established to safeguard Israeli lives and to provide a sense of security to a traumatized population.
 
Pups for Peace is the only nonprofit in the world that purchases and trains explosive-detection dogs to protect the Israeli public.  It works in conjunction with Israel's security forces to identify suicide bombers and explosives in heavily trafficked cities and checkpoints before they are able to carry out their deadly missions.  PFP offers an effective and non-violent way to counter terrorism against innocent Israeli citizens.
 
Honored by the Knesset
Pups for Peace has already saved hundreds of lives by aborting homicide/suicide bomb attempts.  As a result, it has earned the enthusiastic support and respect of the Israel Defense Forces, the Israel Police, and civil defense authorities.  Importantly, the Israeli Knesset was so grateful to Pups for Peace, it honored the organization with an award in March 2004.
 
Since 60% of civilian casualties occur at public transportation locales, Pups for Peace has recently been requested by the Israeli Ministry of Transportation to deploy dogs at bus and rail terminals in Netanya, Beer Sheva and Jerusalem.   This new focus will require hundreds of dog teams (1 handler plus 2-3 dogs) to insure public safety.
 
Why haven’t I heard of Pups for Peace before?
Rather than fund costly advertising programs, Pups for Peace allocates 90% of the money it raises to training and deploying dogs.  Except for a handful of employees in the U.S. and Israel, volunteers undertake all other PFP functions.   All members of the Board of Directors serve without salary.  The majority of design and merchandise costs have been donated.  Printing and translation costs have been heavily discounted to reflect only a fraction of their fair market value.
 
Grass-root efforts, in community after community, have accounted for the organization's success in raising $3 million in just over two years.  The most effective way for you to assist Pups for Peace is to help us "get the word out." Let your friends, colleagues, and family know the invaluable contribution that this organization is making to Israeli society.

How you can help
We urge you to support Pups for Peace's mission of "Detecting Terror to Save Lives."   There are several ways that you can help:
 
• Adopt a Dog
The single most important contribution that you can make is to adopt at a dog.  A gift of $10,000 allows you to name your dog, receive photos and progress reports, and visit your dog when you are in Israel.  Our major donors (with their permission of course) are listed in the Toda Raba Section of our newsletter and on our website.  Often, friends, families, religious schools, or synagogue groups pool their resources to share the cost.

• Make a Donation of any Amount
We facilitate charitable giving by providing this service online or via our toll-free phone number (1-800-669-8930).  We accept checks, major credit cards, and Israel bonds.  Bequests and tributes are deeply appreciated.  All contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.  Internal Revenue Service Nonprofit Tax Exempt 501(c)(3) EIN 73-164-3812.
 
• Host a "Parlor Meeting."
Parlor meetings raise the most money in the shortest time.  The hosts provide dessert or hors d'oeuvres and wine for as many of their friends and neighbors as they wish -- usually 15 - 50.  We will provide an effective speaker, DVD, and educational materials that emphasize PFP’S important role in Israel’s security. This is followed by an appeal for funds. Some of these meetings have raised enough money to purchase five dogs.
 
• Encourage your children to participate in Pups for Peace via grass- roots events. 
Bar and Bat mitzvah children and adults learn the meaning of Tzedakah by asking their guests to contribute to Pups for Peace in their honor.  We've also had B'nai Mitzvah boys and girls donate some or all of their own gifts to PFP.  

Or, your son or daughter of any age can work with your synagogue, religious school, or Jewish community center to develop a fund-raiser that his/her friends can participate in.  We've seen children raise money via car washes, raffles, bake sales, lemonade stands, walk-a-thons with both stuffed and real animals, dance-a-thons, and photo exhibits of dogs. We typically post photos from these events on our website, which not only honors the fundraiser, but also provides an example for others to follow. 

While these events don't raise as much money as Parlor Meetings, they provide a wonderful way for Jewish children to learn the importance of Tzedakah by reaching out to others in Israel.  These events also help to build Pups for Peace awareness in the community and can often result in publicity in your community newspaper.
 
 
• Inform your Synagogue, Jewish Community Center, and Federation about the important role PFP plays in Israel.
Suggest to your synagogue, JCC, and Jewish Federation that they contact Pups for Peace to learn how they can lend support.  Many synagogues have allowed PFP representatives to educate and solicit financial support from the congregation.  In other cases, the rabbi has made an appeal for funds during the High Holy Days or on Shabbat. 
 Other synagogues and Jewish Community Centers have sponsored festivals, art shows, films, raffles, and photo exhibits. Synagogues have also been helpful in publishing articles or ads at no cost in their newsletters.  We can send you an ad that explains our mission, provides our toll-free number, and promotes our website.  Additionally a number of Federations have donated money from their Israel Emergency Fund to Pups for Peace.

• Start a Memorial - Tribute Gift Program
This simple program of remembrance or tribute to honor a loved one merely requires placement of tribute envelopes in high-traffic (lobby, social hall, and gift shop) areas of the synagogue or JCC.  After a donation is made, we will forward an appropriate card or letter to the person who was honored or to the bereaved.  These envelopes also can be inserted in the synagogue's newsletter or in a special mailing from the synagogue.
   
All of us at Pups for Peace are grateful for your support and encourage you to develop new ideas for creative fund-raising. Please contact our Administrator, at (1-800-669-8930) to make a donation or to learn more about planning a fundraising event in your community.