Imagine spending a delightful fall evening at Daniel’s Vineyard, sipping a refreshing glass of white wine or a robust red, all while contributing to a noble cause. Medical Mutts is offering this unique experience at its inaugural fall fundraising event, Barks and Booze, on September 19, starting at 6 p.m.
A top authority in training medical alert dogs, Medical Mutts’ mission is to train rescued dogs to be service dogs, and promote collaboration between dogs and people through science, education and ethical training. Dogs are trained to alert for conditions such as diabetes, seizures, migraines, allergies and more.
“We’re a local nonprofit based here in Indianapolis that rescues dogs from shelters all across the country, and trains them to become medical alert dogs,” says Liz Boskovich, Director of Development, Marketing and Communications. “We specialize in invisible disabilities, so we train our dogs to alert their owner about an hour before an episode or medical event occurs.”
Medical Mutts is making a significant difference by sourcing dogs from shelters across the United States and then training them. However, this process requires both time and money. On average, it costs Medical Mutts around $25,000 per dog to train and place them with a deserving recipient. By attending Barks and Booze, Geist residents can directly contribute to this worthy cause. General admission tickets are $100 and VIP tickets are $135. VIP tickets include one Tito’s Cocktail and a glass of Daniel’s Sangria.
“The first-time event is going to be a treat for attendees,” Boskovich says. “Ed Martin Automotive Group sponsors Barks and Booze. There is a wine tasting, behind-the-scenes tours of Daniel’s Vineyard, live music, catered appetizers, a cash bar and a silent auction. The proceeds will benefit Medical Mutts and allow us to rescue more dogs, help more people, and promote kindness and inclusivity.”
Live auction items include autographed sports paraphernalia and behind-the-scenes experiences at local Indianapolis attractions. Local band Traci and Jimmy, an Indianapolis-based acoustic duo, will provide the music, with songs from the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s.
“We’re hoping to raise $30,000 from this event,” says Dr. Jennifer Cattet, founder and CEO for Medical Mutts. “We also hope to spread awareness about what our small but mighty team does. It takes a lot of time and money to seek out potential dogs, adopt them, transport them and train them to be medical alert companions. A lot of work goes into finding the right dog for the right person.”
Cattet says Medical Mutts hopes to reach a whole new audience of potential donors, volunteers, fosters and potential clients by hosting the event. The organization celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2023 and, by that date, placed over 100 service dogs with people with medical issues. Cattet says they cannot currently provide free medical alert dogs to companions. She says Medical Mutts is the most affordable of the options available, but it can be quite expensive to adopt a medical alert dog.
The process involves an extensive application process for the dog’s companion and a training period for the dog. Cattet says they are limited on what types of dogs they can adopt and train to be medical alert dogs. She says many of the dogs in Indianapolis shelters are considered bully breeds, and therefore aren’t a good fit for someone needing medical assistance. The average wait time for one of their rescue dogs is 12 to 18 months. She wants to increase Medical Mutts’ visibility within the community and work toward lowering the cost to the recipients.
“We need so much more support from the community to continue doing what we’re doing, but also to look ahead to the future,” Cattet says. “We want to be able to provide scholarships and lower the costs in the future, but we can’t do that without community awareness and support. There are lots of organizations that go and rescue the dogs, and there are lots of organizations that help with disabilities. We’re one of the very few, if not the only one in the country, that’s actually connecting the two, and that’s what makes us special. We have the dogs we’re saving. Then we’re helping people in desperate need of medical alert service dogs to get their lives back on track. We’re essentially helping both the dogs and the person, and doing that in a symbiotic relationship.”
Medical Mutts is located at 6120 Allisonville Road in Indianapolis.
