WEB EXCLUSIVEAs the number of pups in shelters soars, Raleigh area rescue Perfectly Imperfect Pups is urging the public not to get rid of their dogs—and gives tips on how to help.
Urgent PSA to save the pups: You can go back to work and keep the dog you adopted. Tell everyone.
Fun fact: Pet adoption rates soared last year as people pivoted to working from home—and taking care of a new pup got that much easier. Not so fun fact: Now, as many people are starting to go back into the office, a plethora of “pandemic dogs” are being returned.
“This, combined with normal summer shelter traffic, is causing a huge issue for the
shelters,” says Nicole Kincaid, founder and director of Perfectly Imperfect Pups, one of the local Raleigh-area rescues seeing the true tragedy right now, whose primary focus is on medical and special needs dogs or “PIP-abled” (hence perfectly imperfect). “Rescue’s want to help but cannot if they do not have foster homes open.”
And as the number of pups in shelters soars, PIPS is urging the public not to get rid of their dogs.
With an MO of building a “community of like-minded, kick-ass dog rescue ninjas that strives to save the lives of at-risk dogs,” PIPs maintains that you can work and keep your dog, as most of your furry friends will sleep an average of 12 hours a day.
“They love you but they do not need you with them all day,” says Kincaid. “A dog will be happier and better off being at your home alone for the day versus at the shelter.”
Additionally, dogs are like people—they get nervous in new situations and form special bonds with their owners. Returning a dog to a shelter after it’s spent time acclimating to a home may do more harm than good. After all, you’d get upset if someone in your family dropped you off in an unfamiliar situation too wouldn’t you? So while you might get a pair of sad puppy eyes as you head out the door for your 9-to-5, they’ll be much better off than they would be in the shelter.
How to Save a Life: Fostering, Forever Homes and Post Sharing
If you don’t already have a pup and want to help, consider fostering a dog until it can be adopted into a forever home. To help you help the pups, PIPs will pay for medical expenses and supplies, support you on your foster journey, and promote the pups on social media to help them get adopted—all you have to do is provide the heart and home to help the pup transition to a forever home.
“Fostering just one dog opens up the space at the shelter for the next dog coming in,” says Kincaid, “so you are actually saving two dogs’ lives!” Foster homes are needed for special and medical needs—but also for puppies, adult dogs and seniors that are not “PIP-abled.”
If you are looking to adopt and prefer to ease your way in and see who needs adoption around town, Petfinder’s website and app is like match.com for dogs (the app is our rec for user-friendliness and ease). Search however you like—by specific rescues or breeds, or even just dogs by radius. Filter sex, age, size, coat, color, behavior and more—and even view resources on finding the best dog for you and your family.
And if you’re not able to foster or adopt a furry child, sharing posts from local rescues, donating or volunteering your time at an adoption shelter are all great ways to make an impact.
Sounds like a paws-itively plausible way to lend a hand—er, paw—to all the little Fidos in the community. Learn more at facebook.com/pipsrescue
WEB EXCLUSIVEYour Friday just got a sweet upgrade this week as the Triangle’s fave cotton candy purveyor spins into Boxyard RTP.
Jackie Morin
Hey, sugar. Your next outing to Boxyard RTP just got even sweeter thanks to Wonderpuff, the specialty cotton candy vendor known for its organic “fairy floss” in fun and delicious flavors, which is opening its first physical location at the thriving shipping container locale this Friday, July 30.
Wonderpuff founder Jackie Morin is excited to immerse her cotton candy shop with other small businesses in a community who share similar values of operating ethically—and with love, of course. The popular female- and Black-owned business will be serving up its signature flashy flare and cotton candy on the daily for those who are in need of an afternoon pick-me-up.
Flavors include rosé lemonade, blueberry waffles and Haitian cake, among many others—all of which are made with no artificial flavors or ingredients. Now how sweet is that?
Beyond Boxyard RTP, Morin is aiming for “world domination?!” she laughs. “Just kidding. No, but really! The world needs more sugar and love and what better way to spread that joy than with some Wonderpuff cotton candy.”
So spin on over to Wonderpuff this weekend—and beyond—to add some sweetness and good vibes to your life.
WEB EXCLUSIVEWake Tech and A Place at the Table team up to provide hospitality training to community membersin the wake of Raleigh’s struggling post-COVID restaurant industry.
If your favorite restaurant is still closed for lunch (or is reducing the number of days they’re open in general), A Place at the Table and Wake Tech Community College have a solution. The two local institutions have teamed up to train underemployed and unemployed members of the local community to work in Raleigh’s struggling restaurant scene during APATT’s off hours.
With the demand to dine out on the rise and a current shortage of trained hospitality workers, the launch of this partnership comes at a time when hotels, restaurants, bars, breweries and food trucks need employees now more than ever. Through the free hospitality training program, students will come in to APATT once it closes (Tuesday through Friday at 2pm) for on-the-job training. Students will learn hospitality and culinary skills that will result in industry-recognized certificates with the potential to open up a plethora of opportunities with local restaurateurs.
Wake Tech’s light will come on whenever classes are in session.
“Our goal is to be the place to go to find qualified help and funnel a pipeline of trained students who can work and grow in the companies that they get hired,” says Sameer Pawa, Wake Tech’s director of the hospitality workforce.
Wake Tech has been running its hospitality training program for more than a decade, placing over 70 percent of its students in the workforce in the process. The college chose APATT as its most recent program partner due in large part to the fact that the beloved cafe has recently expanded its space—and it closes early every day, allowing these culinary trainees to get experience in a real Raleigh restaurant kitchen.
“We love everything about Wake Tech and can’t wait for them to be in our space,” says Maggie Kane, executive director of A Place at the Table. “We believe everyone should have access to community and good food, but by bringing this awesome culinary program Downtown, folks will also have access to an affordable education and stable career.”
Adds Kane, “The culinary industry needs more awesome folks to join the industry and this will only bring valued employees to all of our restaurants, cafes and hotels!”
The program will begin on Aug. 16 and run for nine weeks. We’re hungry to see how much it helps Raleigh’s hospitality industry and can’t wait to see what kind of great talent comes out of it. Register here.
We’re bugging out over Murphy’s Naturals, a Raleigh-run plant-based mosquito repellent.
Seven years ago, Philip Freeman quit his day job to address a problem that plagues us all in the summertime—bug bites. He and his wife, Pam, grew tired of battling bugs while trying to explore the great outdoors with their precious poodle, Murphy (who has since passed away). When Freeman couldn’t find an effective natural mosquito repellent on the market, he decided to create his own—and Murphy’s Naturals was born (a nod to the pup, of course).
Murphy’s Naturals originally began as a side hustle for Freeman, until shipping products out of his home grew to be too demanding (turns out it’s a little tough for freight trucks to back out of a neighborhood). So Freeman leveled up his operations and moved to a small North Raleigh industrial park off of Capital Boulevard, making Murphy’s Naturals his full-time gig.
Since then, Murphy’s Naturals has only continued to grow and evolve. The company currently offers over 18 different products, ranging from candles to repellent sprays to balms, allowing you to bask in the outdoors this summer without being an afternoon snack for your not-so-friendly neighborhood mosquitoes.
“You don’t have to be the avid extreme outdoorsman who rock climbs and goes fly-fishing to enjoy our products,” says Stewart Freeman, Murphy’s Naturals’ director of sales and marketing. “You can be the ‘backyard warrior,’ someone who’s grilling or doing garden work. Our products are made for everyone—for the family and everyday use.”
Each product is made with a unique blend of responsibly sourced ingredients and a high concentration of essential oils made in-house in our very own City of Oaks. That sustainable sourcing is just one part of the bug-defeating brand’s MO to celebrate nature and inspire good through quality natural products, which is realized through Murphy’s Natural’s status as a certified B Corporation.
The bug-beating brand is also committed to Doing Others Good (DOG)—shoutout to the company’s canine namesake on that one—donating 2% of revenue to charitable organizations who share in the company’s vision and values. And part of that 2% goes toward 1% for the Planet, a global movement inspiring individuals and businesses to support environmental causes in an effort to create a healthy planet. On the local level, Murphy’s Naturals proudly partners with Raleigh City Farm and the Triangle Land Conservancy, and the company’s entire team commits to doing a day of local volunteering once a quarter. Do-gooders, indeed.
So, if you’re itching to get your hands on Murphy’s Naturals products—who isn’t?—you can find them locally at Logan’s Garden Shop and NOFO @ the Pig, as well as at well-known retailers like Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, Whole Foods and Target. Then say goodbye to those bug bites. You’re welcome, Raleigh. murphysnaturals.com
WEB EXCLUSIVEThe City of Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department’s Devereux Meadow Park project is underway.
They don’t call Raleigh the City of Oaks for nothing. The city boasts a balance of urban opportunities and outdoor escapes that make getting out and about a breeze—we’re looking at you, 10,000-plus acres of parkland and a 100-plus-mile greenway system!
Raleigh’s newest park proposal, Devereux Meadow Park, will add even more greenspace to the area. The envisioned 14-acre park will be located at the corner of Capital Boulevard and Peace Street, the former location of the Devereux Meadow baseball park.
Picture strolling along the new park’s walking paths, soaking in the sun on the grass, picnicking with playmates or tossing a Frisbee to your furry friends, all just moments away from the heart of the city.
That vision is manifested in Devereux Meadow Park, which includes open gathering areas and trails, stream interaction spaces, promenades, public art and more.
And beyond a new atmosphere in which to enjoy a breath of fresh air, the Devereux Meadow Park project is also forecasted to include natural stormwater treatment areas, the daylighting and restoration of the Pigeon House Branch Creek, and a greenway connection from the Crabtree Creek Greenway to Downtown Raleigh (can we get a “hell yes!”?).
The City of Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department is currently in the planning and design phase for the proposed new urban park, which is expected to be completed in 2022. As plans develop, the city may adjust its current plan based on public opinion and expert recommendations. Keep up the good work, City of Oaks!
