I love working with Todd Vernon, the CEO of Lijit. Todd and I have been friends since I met him in 1997 when I was an investor in the seed round for Todd’s last company, Raindance (fka Evoke fka Vstream fka Something Data Something I can’t remember). Todd’s a great example of an entrepreneur that you just can’t deny – he’s going to get it done no matter what.
Todd just posted Come to Puttin on the Leash 2009 – his plea for support and participation at the Humane Society of Boulder Valley annual event that is happening on Saturday, April 25th at 6pm at the Coors Event Center on the CU Boulder Campus. The goal for the event is to raise $300K for the programs and services that are provided straight back into the Boulder County Communities.
When Amy and I started ramping up our philanthropic activity a decade ago, we started out anonymously. It felt weird and uncomfortable to talk about what we were supporting, but I soon found out that I was missing the point. While some people talk publicly about the charitable organizations they support for ego purposes, many people are doing it to provide visibility to the organizations they support and leadership for the friends to encourage them to support the things they are interested in. Over time, I’ve developed a deep respect for people putting their mouths where their money is with regard to their philanthropic activities. Todd does this beautifully in his post, describing clearly what HSBV does:
- The HSBV serves 8,000 animals annually.
- The HSBV facilitates 5,300 adoptions annually.
- 40% of the animals who come through the front doors of the HSBV need some type of medical attention through the shelter medicine program.
- 150 Dogs received behavioral modification training last year, from food guarding to separation anxiety.
- Average length of stay for dogs is 4 days, for cats 10, these are outstanding statistics!
- Some of the services the HSBV provides include, Adoptions, lost and found, Veterinary Clinic, Behavior and Training Center, Humane Education, Pet Retail Supplies…
- The HSBV Live Release Rate, representing the percentage of animals who come through the door and are reunited with their guardians or placed with a new family is 89% – this is among the highest in the nation.
If you are a pet lover and live in Boulder, help put a leash on Todd by supporting the Humane Society of Boulder Valley and participating in Puttin on the Leash 2009.