May 2026 Milestones
The Sunny’s Helping Paws Community is Growing
Community is at the heart of Sunny’s Helping Paws as one of our core values.
This month, it led us to Salt Lake City for one of the biggest animal welfare conferences in the country, deepened our Rochester roots with a ribbon-cutting at the Chamber of Commerce, and brought our local team and supporters together at our very first fundraising event. All while hitting exciting milestones in our own mission-driven work!
Here’s a look into each of those moments and what they mean for Sunny’s Helping Paws and the community we are proud to serve:
What We’re Bringing Home From Salt Lake City:
Our founder Nora Bennani traveled to the Best Friends Animal Society National Conference from May 7-9th, one of the premier gatherings in the animal welfare world.
After the opportunity to meet with and learn from people and organizations from across the country doing meaningful work at the intersection of animal welfare and human health, Nora came home with new contacts, fresh ideas, partnership possibilities, and a ton of inspiration for where Sunny’s Helping Paws goes (and grows) next.
Check out some photos from SHP @ #BCF26:
One of the most exciting outcomes of that trip: Sunny’s Helping Paws is now officially part of the Best Friends Partner Network, a community of nonprofits committed to saving animals and strengthening the communities that care for them.
Being part of this network puts us in ongoing conversation with some of the most innovative thinkers in animal welfare, and we are excited about what that means for the families we serve in SE Minnesota.
Click on the logo above to learn more about what it means for Sunny’s Helping Paws.
Rochester, We’re Official:
On Monday, May 6th, Sunny’s Helping Paws celebrated joining the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce with a ribbon-cutting ceremony alongside neighbors, business owners, and community members who came out to welcome us.
Joining the Chamber is a statement of intent: We are not just operating out of this city. We are part of it, invested in it, and accountable to it.
Nora said it best in her remarks that afternoon:
“Sunny’s Helping Paws is a Rochester organization, serving our Rochester neighbors. We believe the well-being of this community is something every business, every employer, and every Chamber member has a stake in. When a working person in Rochester gets a [life changing] diagnosis, the ripple effect touches all of us, and certainly touches their pet. Anything we can do to lighten that load, to keep families whole and pets at home, strengthens the fabric of Rochester itself.”
Here are some photos from the event, featuring our new Sunny’s Helping Paws team T-shirts:
Our First Fundraising Event:
On Monday evening, May 18th, dozens of runners, walkers, and supporters came out for the Tera Loco 5K, Sunny’s Helping Paws’ very first in-person fundraising event. It was a cloudy evening and the community brought the sunshine (in more ways than one!)
The event was covered by KAAL TV Channel 6 (check it out HERE), and together we raised $350 toward our spring goal of $10,000. For a first fundraiser, it was everything we could have hoped for.
Seeing people show up on a weekday evening, many of them with their families and dogs, to support people and pets they may never meet, is exactly the kind of community we are working to build!
Keep an eye out for many more events to come, we’d love to see you there!
Meanwhile, the Mission Keeps Moving:
While all of this was happening, our work continued.
Sunny’s Helping Paws has now supported more than 10 families since launching at the end of 2025, helping patients facing serious illness keep their pets safe, loved, and cared for during treatment.
Intake Coordinator Lucy with Morgan and Maggie before returning them at the end of their paw-rent’s medical treatment.
We’ve received incredible feedback, including this heartwarming testimonial:
“Amanda was amazing! She picked up Daisy from the kennel I had her at which was out of town. She sent me pictures of Daisy which made me feel good seeing her and knowing she was well taken care of. She also dropped her off at my house after I was discharged which helped so much because I couldn't drive for 2 weeks after. This was a lifesaver for me, this program not only saved me from having to discharge early because I couldn't afford the kennel She was at but it also gave me piece of mind that my baby was in someone's home and she was able to snuggle with someone and be loved on.”
That is what we’re here for and we are so proud to hear it. Thank you Amanda and the rest of our intake and volunteer team!
We are continuing to build out our volunteer network and intake processes so that every person who reaches out gets the support they need.
Looking Forward:
On June 6th, Sunny will be honored as a Comfort and Healing Ambassador at the Minnesota Lymphoma Walk in Minneapolis. The lymphoma community is close to our hearts, and this event holds deep meaning for our team. We would love to see you there.
Click on THIS LINK to learn more, donate, and sign up to join our fundraising team.
Otherwise, if you want to be part of what Sunny’s Helping Paws is building, here is how to get involved:
Volunteer your skills and time HERE, we are especially looking for more in-home pet carers!
Make a donation HERE to help us reach our $10,000 spring goal!
Every dollar, every referral, and every pair of hands keeps a patient and a pet together when it matters most.
Thank you for being part of our growing community!
Blog contribution by Sophie Foxman, SHP Communications and Marketing Director
