Helping fix pups’ problems

During the dog days of summer, Corona del Mar resident Deidre Hogan

is doing her part to help rescue Orange County animals and keep them

from starving, dying from illness or being taken to a shelter that

practices euthanasia.

For the past month, Hogan, 40, has been making and selling

personalized greeting cards, with all proceeds going to the Community

Animal Network. Hogan has raised $325 so far and hopes to raise

$3,400 by the end of August.

The Community Animal Network is a local nonprofit that rescues,

treats and finds homes for animals in need.

Hogan, a general manager for American Airlines in Ontario, Calif.,

said she had to create a community project for a course she is

enrolled in through Landmark Education, a national self-expression

and leadership program. She wanted to do something for animals or

children -- her two soft spots.

After brainstorming with her dog-loving neighbors, she heard about

Community Animal Network and decided it was the perfect cause.

Hogan’s 1-year-old pup, Cooper, a Pekipoo -- which is a

Pekingese-poodle mix -- inspired her to call her fundraiser Cooper’s

Cause for Paws. She also credits the dog with helping her make

friends and fit into the community.

“I moved to a new place, and we knew no one,” said Hogan, who has

lived in Corona del Mar with her husband for about a year. “We got

the dog two months later and we met everybody through that dog.”

She said she was walking Cooper one evening when her neighbor,

Audrey Patterson, invited them in to play with her dog. This

encounter led to subsequent meetings with more poodle and poodle-mix

owners. The get-togethers later became known as the Corona del Mar

poodle party -- eight Corona del Mar women who get together six

nights a week with their dogs.

Hogan has been making personalized cards for years, and her

friends suggested she use them in her project. That gave her the idea

of taking pet photos and making cards for a minimum donation of $25.

After contacting Community Animal Network founder DiAnna

Pfaff-Martin, who gave her the go-ahead for the fundraiser, Hogan

went to work making fliers and business cards to market her project.

She targets veterinary offices, dog groomers and dog walkers, but her

pamphlets are also on display at Recycled Rags -- Patterson’s store

-- and Udofit, a personal training gym.

“The girls all helped me,” Hogan said.

Her friends donated pamphlet paper, card supplies and printing

costs to help her get her fundraiser going.

“People will help you; you just have to ask. It’s just a great

group of friends,” she said.

The Community Animal Network’s Pfaff-Martin said she is grateful

for any help she can get, as she runs the organization with help from

volunteers and donations. There are no salaried employees, and

Pfaff-Martin takes a nominal salary for herself out of donations. She

often charges vet bills to her personal credit cards due to lack of

funds.

She said the average donation is $25, but the average cost of

saving a pet is $300.

“We spend a tremendous amount of money making sure they are

healthy and in a safe home,” Pfaff-Martin said.

Altruism is not a new concept for Hogan. She is also training for

a Leukemia and Lymphoma Society marathon, for which she has raised

$4,423. Her husband, Kraig Hogan, is also training for the marathon

and has raised about $3,800.

“It’s just using whatever abilities you have to give back,” Deidre

Hogan said. “I think I’ve just been so blessed with a great family --

my parents have always been really giving. I’m an only child, but

they always taught me to share. It’s just so important to give back

to those who need it.”

* LINDSAY SANDHAM is the news assistant. She can be reached at

(714) 966-4625 or lindsay.sandham@latimes.com.