ST. LOUIS — Meet Eras! The nine-week-old schnauzer puppy was saved by Speak! Rescue and Sanctuary.
They are a foster-based rescue specializing in saving dogs born with hearing and vision impairments resulting from merle-to-merle breeding.
"Double Murrells have a 25 percent chance of being blind, deaf, or both. Our rescue educates people about proper breeding techniques and to make sure they're going through good breeders, as well as showing people that these dogs are wonderful and have so much love to give and can still function as a normal dog," explains Dawn Kernich with the rescue.
Speak! had a busy year! Not only did they rescue 109 dogs, they moved from leased space and bought a permanent home for the organization. Many of their pups need a forever place to live, while others just need a little more time until they find their happily ever after. This spacious property serves that purpose.
"We just purchased this property in January, and it's on nine and a half acres. So, we have a pond that the dogs will be able to enjoy. There are hiking trails all around," Kernich said.
When looking into purchasing a property, they had a difficult finding a bank to finance their rescue because of some of the same challenges many nonprofits face when seeking funding.
That’s when Midwest BankCentre stepped in.
"We heard how much Midwest BankCentre does with nonprofits. So, we reached out to them to help us get this beautiful property. And they were able to help us get the deal," Kernich said.
For a nonprofit, the importance of choosing a bank that is familiar with nonprofits is critical when applying for a business loan.
"We evaluated their needs, what their ultimate goal was. We knew that it was not going to be, you know, an overnight sprint, we knew that this was going to be a marathon. So we set up a two-year plan on how we were going to obtain this property," explains Ajla Zigic the Vice President of Community and Economic Development at Midwest Bank Centre.
And now, Speak! has a sanctuary where amazing dogs like Eras – whether unadoptable or not readily adoptable – will always have a loving home.
To learn more about Midwest BankCentre's non-profit banking services, click here.
For more information about Speak! Rescue and Sanctuary, visit their website or follow along on social media.
For more information about Midwest BankCentre, click here.
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