Pittsburgh Pet Parents Raise Over $6,100 for Biggies Bullies via Calendar Contest

When I announced in mid-January that Pittsburgh’s foster home-based rescue, Biggies Bullies, would be this year’s recipient of my annual pet calendar contest fundraiser, I could have never imagined that this year would become the most successful thus far.

Never could I have dreamed that within the first 12 hours of the contest launching, Pittsburgh pet parents would raise a new first-day record of $1,018, or that we’d welcome a whopping 56 entrants, or that we’d exceed what I initially deemed a lofty fundraising goal of $5,000 by $1,118.

While $5,948 came from entries and votes (including three voting promos that contributed nearly  $2,000 of that), another $170 was raised via the 17 reserved grid spaces scattered throughout the calendar. Many reserved a space to celebrate Gotcha Days and birthday months, others to honor a pet who has passed on. The last 24 hours alone saw a $487 increase as participants donated up until the final seconds to keep their favorite fur babies among the leaderboard’s top 13, which would give them the opportunity to win the coveted cover or a featured month in the 2020 Biggies Bullies pet calendar as well as a professional on-location pet photography session with Bark & Gold Photography.

As a small rescue that is 100% volunteer developed and staffed, every dollar from the funds raised through the contest’s entries, votes, and subsequent calendar sales will directly assist Biggies Bullies in its unwavering dedication to rescuing and re-homing pit bull type dogs in Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas. In addition to helping make appropriate matches to the right families to ensure proper placement and continuing to provide lifelong resources for those families via love, care, and humane training, this money will also go toward educating the public on responsible pet ownership, positive force free training, and the importance of spaying and neutering their pets.

With that said, it’s time to reveal the 13 grand prize winners:

  1.  Rocky, a sweet six-year-old who loves to bury bones in the couch, go for walks, car rides, and to sprawl across my lap and fall asleep while his dad sings to him.
  2. Ray & Mo, always up for an adventure, be it hiking, hanging out at the local brewery, or couch-cuddling on a cold day.
  3. Beatrice, a snack-loving lazy girl who can never go for enough car rides.
  4. Beefy & Girly, best friends who have earned the hashtag #alwaystouching.
  5. Ida Marie, a seven-year-old Biggies Bullies beauty rescued in the North Side of Pittsburgh about four years ago.
  6. Chico Gilligan, described by his mom as “the Derek Zoolander of dogs…not the brightest, but really, really, really ridiculously good looking.”
  7. Finley, a three-year-old Shih Tzu mix with a love for everything from belly rubs and car rides to snuggles and snow zoomies.
  8. Maverick, whose parents say constantly wins people over with that “pibble smile.”
  9. Odin & Hector, two of Pittsburgh’s most handsome pit bulls, back for their second calendar contest appearances after earning a spot in the 2019 Dreaming of Three pet calendar.
  10. Bodie, who became his parents’ first foster fail at a time when their hearts were broken from the loss of their previous Biggies [Bullies] dog.
  11. Zero, a former stray who, at nine-years-old, enjoys sleeping, drooling, acting surprised when he farts, and destroying toys.
  12. Walter, an 80-pound lap dog and former Biggies Bullies rescue who loves to snuggle.
  13. Felix, a three-year-old pit bull, the face of his mom’s custom dog collar and accessory company Diamond Daisy Design, and your 2020 Biggies Bullies pet calendar cover model!

2020 Biggies Bullies pet calendar contest winners

These 13 furry faces will soon have their on-location photography session with me to photograph their calendar contest image for the 2020 Biggies Bullies pet calendar, which will be available this fall.

A heartfelt appreciation goes out for the charitable donations and unwavering support of this year’s weekly mini-contest prize sponsors: Biskit’s BarkeryDiamond Daisy DesignDogGone CandlesGoblin Girl DesignsGrand Paws Pet SalonLiffey Pop DesignsPupCycled, and Scout Dog. I am so grateful to connect with such selfless small businesses; so much of this is possible because of your kindness and generosity in supporting this contest and Biggies Bullies!

Above all, thanks to you! Whether you entered, voted, purchased a grid space, or simply shared this contest with your family and friends, your support will make a big difference in the lives of Pittsburgh’s pit bulls by aiding the efforts of Biggies Bullies’ volunteers. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, everyone, for helping make the third year of this wildly popular fundraiser a huge success!


To learn more about Biggies Bullies, as well as Hungry Hippos Food Pantry and the Freedom Harness Exchange, visit www.biggiesbullies.com. If you’d like to contribute a monetary donation to Biggies Bullies, you may do so on its donation page; AmazonSmile Foundation contributions and items from its Amazon Wishlist are also appreciated.

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