Paws For A Cause: The Story

Back in September 2010, I was trying to decide on what to do for The Vampire Diaries actor, Ian Somerhalder, for his upcoming birthday. I wasn’t quite sure what to do but I knew I didn’t want to do a birthday book or a video like most other folks did. I wanted to do something that had impact and would do something good.

I did some research on Ian, his causes, and spent a few days going back on his twitter to see what he’s talked about since he opened his account. During my search, I had it in the back of my mind I wanted to do something for animals. I remembered Ian talking about adopting animals before, and that is what I was hoping to find again while searching his tweets.

After about a day of searching, I came accross his posts about the St Tammany Humane Society. St Tammany is located in Covington, Louisiana, which happens to be Ian’s hometown. Turns out the shelter was literally in his backyard and he had been adopting animals from that shelter for almost 25 years (source: A Simple Act)

What touched me most about St Tammany Humane Society was the fact they were a no-kill shelter. There aren’t many of them in the world and to see that they do everything they can to save the animals and find them a home is something simply amazing to me.

I had my own personal experience with a local area animal shelter and it has left a hole in my heart for nearly 10 years. It isn’t a nice feeling. I had a cat named Minime for about a year and I got a temporary contract within my company to go across the country to work for 6 months. None of my family or friends wanted to take care of Minime for me, so at the last minute I had to bring her to the local SPCA. This shelter made it clear that if Minime was not adopted within 6 months, she would like be euthanised. That broke my heart and it has stayed with me since then.

Minime is the main motivator behind the birthday project for Ian Somerhalder. Ian was simply the fire under my butt to just go ahead and do it.

When the decision was made to support St Tammany Humane Society, I contacted the shelter and advised them on my intentions. I wasn’t sure if this was something I would be allowed to do. With the shelter’s support and blessing, the project officially launched on September 23rd, 2010.

After a month and a half of steady campaigning, the fans of Ian Somerhalder and The Vampire Diaries came through and raised a whopping $11,100 for the shelter. The amount was presented to Ian at Unleashed: Bash on the Bayou, an annual shelter fundraiser. Ian’s reaction and “Holy Cow” was enough to know that this could be an annual event, and with the support and drive from all the fans, it is something that will definitely be a driving force in the world to make the world a better place for animals.

A special thank you to Ian Somerhalder for being such an inspiration to myself and to many people around the world. We wish you much success with your own foundation, Ian Somerhalder Foundation.

Another special thank you to St Tammany Humane Society for your support and blessing in our project. We hope we have been able to help you take care of our furry friends.

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