improving the lives of pets outdoors

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Straw For Dogs
Straw For DogsNovember 7, 2025 4:39pm
We are sending out A LOT of houses and trying to follow up with people to make sure they are getting built properly.

The number ONE thing we see is that the roofs are not seated all the way down. They can be kind of tricky. The fit is tight and sometimes you have to wiggle it, lift it, jostle it to get it to fall into place. They are made this way so that they do not have to be screwed down and can be lifted off to add or change straw.

IT IS IMPORTANT to get the roof on correctly so snow and rain do not go inside, and heat from the dog does not go outside.

The roof circled in RED is not seated properly, it is not on right. It is not always the whole roof sitting up like this, sometimes it is just a corner that needs to be dropped in. There should be no space between the top of the walls and the roof.

The roof circled in GREEN is on properly. The roof should basically touch the top of the walls ALL THE WAY AROUND on all sides.

Please take a look at your dog's house and make sure the roof is on the right way! If you went to all the trouble to get your dog a a new house, we may as well make sure the house is built correctly.

Thank you 🙏🏻
Straw For Dogs
Straw For DogsNovember 6, 2025 5:30pm
This handsome boy is Ghost! He lives in a rural community on St. Lawrence Island. A traveling nurse reached out to Straw For Dogs to get Ghost an insulated dog house and straw, she sponsored his house and even paid for part of the shipping costs to get this sweet puppy some shelter.

We are so grateful to all the traveling medical providers who are out there right now advocating for the dogs who need help! Cute little Ghost only had a broken pallet to rest on. (his chain is under the pallet, he does have more chain than what you can see, we asked). There are just so few resources in some of these remote communities, the dogs just get what is available, which is not much.

Thank you to Everts Air and BERING AIR for helping us get this house out to Ghost....We are hoping he will be much more comfortable now. He sure looks cuddly, somebody is very lucky to have this sweet puppy in their lives, we hope he gets the love and attention he and all dogs deserve.
Straw For Dogs
Straw For DogsNovember 6, 2025 7:09am
There are still dogs in the evacuated villages who need to be rescued. Nobody seems to be working on this anymore. Please contact the legislators listed and advocate for these poor dogs who never should have been left behind to begin with. 🙏🏻
Straw For Dogs
Straw For DogsNovember 4, 2025 2:44pm
12 more insulated dog houses and straw are flying out of ANC on Wednesday!

3 to Napakiak, 2 to Koyuk, 4 to Shishmaref, 1 to Noatak, 1 to Kotzebue, and 1 to Pilot Station. I believe 6 of these houses are storm related. (While we are getting applications from storm victims we are also helping dogs who need houses unrelated to the storms too....like we always do).

Here are some more pictures of the building process at our builder Arctic Chicken Coops in Wasilla! They are working hard trying to meet the demand right now. Please be patient, we intent to help everyone who needs help.

If you know a dog who needs help or you would like to donate to support Straw For Dogs mission to provide resources to dogs living outside in Alaska please go to www.strawfordogs.org.

Thank you! 🙏
Straw For Dogs
Straw For DogsNovember 3, 2025 8:13am
3 more insulated dog houses out in Shishmaref! Thank you to kind-hearted animal lovers Anita Powell and Scott Smith, two P.A.'s working in Shishmaref many more dogs have new dog houses and straw.

Not only did Anita and Scott, pay part of the shipping costs for many of the houses they have been picking up the bundles, building them, and distributing them throughout the community.

Anita and Scott delivered these houses over the weekend. They did not have a truck or trailer so they used cardboard to slide the houses to their new locations....Anita said it was their workout for the weekend.

Anita and Scott have become the Straw For Dogs representatives in Shishmaref, and we are so grateful they are there to help the dogs in need. They are coordinating all the logistics on the receiving end of the village, and helping people who may not be able to manage picking up and building the houses themselves.

Thank you to Ryan Air, INC.. and Everts Air for helping us get these latest 3 houses out to Shishmaref! We are so thankful for your suppport!

If you have a dog who needs help or you would like to donate to help Straw For Dogs continue our mission to provide resources to dogs living outside in Alaska please go to www.strawfordogs.org
Thank you! 🙏
Straw For Dogs
Straw For DogsNovember 2, 2025 9:59am
Here are some very nice after pictures of recent insulated dog house recipients with their new homes! Some of these dogs had no shelter at all, some had shelters that were falling apart....all of these dogs were in need of help.

We have 13 more houses currently in transit...on their way to the dogs who need them...and 12 more houses ready to ship out of Anchorage early next week.

We are sending them as fast as our builders can build them. Please be patient if you are waiting and PLEASE do whatever you need to do to keep your dogs safe and comfortable while you wait.

Thank you to Ryan Air, INC. BERING AIR, Everts Air, Northern Air Cargo, and Wright Air Service...all these carriers either donated or discounted the shipping costs and were critical in getting these houses out to the dogs who were waiting for them.

Thank you to everyone who donates to Straw For Dogs to help us in our mission to provide resources to dogs living outside in Alaska. This would not be possible without your support!

IF you know of a dog who needs assistance or you would like to donate please go to www.strawfordogs.org

Thank you!

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how you can help

We encourage concerned citizens to work with caretakers in order to improve the life of a dog outdoors. Talk to your neighbors, offer support (not judgement) and do what you can, where you are. 

Together we can make a difference!

Straw For Dogs is a 501(c)3 organization that depends on individual donations to support our mission of providing supplies and resources for pets outdoors.

Your donation is tax deductible, meaningful and accounted for.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

how we help

NEED ASSISTANCE?

Straw For Dog assists caretakers and concerned citizens with pets outdoors in Alaska.

Do you know a dog who needs a warm, sturdy shelter? Does your own pet spend time outdoors?

We offer free supplies such as doghouses, straw, food, toys, and treats as well as resources including spay/neuter services and training advice to Alaskan residents.

Please fill out our easy, online application form found on our Application for Assistance page.

success stories

HOW WE HELP

As of July 2025, Straw For Dogs has distributed 807 doghouses and 1181 bales of straw.

Together, we can make a difference!

DOG HOUSES

BALES OF STRAW

See Where We’ve Made a Difference: 800+ Dog Houses Donated Across 48 Alaskan Cities!

Kenai

Kenai was adopted from the Mat Su Animal Shelter. As he had previously been kept outdoors, his caretaker contacted us right away for help setting up a cable run and requested a doghouse to help make him comfortable while transitioning him to time in the home.  Kenai...

Niho

Niho's family contacted us for a doghouse, citing a disability in the family. Our volunteer visited and built an insulated house for her along with providing toys, straw and treats. What a cutie!

Buddy

Buddy was found by a Good Samaritan with a badly broken leg. We offered extensive veterinary care and support to this sweet boy and his rescue angel. He has healed up well and is a happy, healthy boy, living with his personal rescue angel and another dog.

Mickey Mouse

Mickey Mouse came to us from Anchorage Animal Care and Control. He was brought there as a young puppy with a broken leg.  Pit bull type dogs like him have limited options for rescue, so we were happy to be able to help, thanks to his long term foster...

Dozer

Dozer is a lovable lug who was in need of a safe place outdoors. Luckily, his family was open to receiving assistance and in addition to care packages with toys, treats, bowls and a new collar, volunteers were also able to build him a kennel and a warm, insulated...

Butterball and Charlie

Butterball and Charlie enjoy spending time outdoors exploring but were without a shelter. Straw For Dogs worked with their family to provide a shelter with a porch so that these sweet boys have options. We provide care takers with information about using straw instead...