Animal Shelter Fundraising Founder and CEO Tim Crum

     But as Tim will tell you, the story of Animal Shelter Fundraising is more about the bond between man and dog than it is about a company. 

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     For as long as he can remember, Tim Crum always had a dog as part of his life.  Tim's earliest memories were playing in the front lawn of his family's Pennsylvania house with a Shih Tzu named Miele (which means pretty little lady in Vietnamese).  As a young man in college, he shared his one-bedroom home with two dogs - a black labrador named Zelda, and a golden retriever named Nugget.  He can recall fondly that whenever he returned home after a difficult test or hard day, those two dogs would be happy to greet him.  He credits their unconditional love for helping him through those trying times as a young adult.

     But Tim would be forever changed by a shelter dog named Jordan whom he first met in the Spring of 1998 while doing work for his new employer, the Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania.    Jordan was a one-year old, male, chocolate-colored, Chesapeake Bay Retriever-mix.  Tim was taking photos of shelter dogs to post on the organization's website when Jordan caught his eye.  Tim recalls , "I liked him instantly because dispute his being underweight, twice abandoned and now sleeping on a hard, cold concrete floor in an animal shelter, he still had this "happy go lucky" , playful disposition."   

     With two dogs and a cat named Two Socks already sharing his one bedroom home, Tim hadn't even considered adoption as an option.  Days passed and Jordan still remained at the Animal Rescue League, and kennel staff had informed Tim that no one was showing interest in Jordan.  He requested permission from the organization's executive director to bring Jordan home for "just one night" so Jordan could get out of the shelter environment.  That night Jordan played with Tim's other dogs, chasing one another in the grass yard and chasing after a tennis ball.  That next morning, Tim brought Jordan back to his kennel at the Animal Rescue League.  Each night for the next seven nights, Tim received permission to bring Jordan home for the night.

     One day working at his computer, one of the kennel workers, Rick, stopped in Tim's office to ask Tim if he wanted to come downstairs to"say goodbye" to Jordan.  Jordan had not been adopted and his kennel space was needed to allow another dog a chance to get adopted.  Tim walked into the room where euthanasia was performed and saw Jordan "leashed down".  There was a syringe filled with chemicals to end his life resting on top of Jordan's paperwork, signed to authorize his euthanasia.  Jordan's young life was about to be abruptly ended and yet there was Jordan, looking up at Tim, smiling.  Tim's eyes filled up as he asked himself, "How could I let this happen?"

     Tim looked at Jordan then said to the vet tech, "Not today.  Jordan's coming home with me.  I'm adopting him!"

     Jordan came home that day to a permanent, loving home.  He shared many great times with Tim and his other dogs until his unfortunate passing eight years later.

       Animal Shelter Fundraising is dedicated to Jordan and the millions of other homeless pets who deserve a permanent home.  Let us put our passion, knowledge and experience to work for you so your organization can save more lives.