Puppy yoga fundraiser in Somerset County supports dog rescue care

A beginner-friendly puppy yoga session brought adoptable dogs into Somerset Hills YMCA in Basking Ridge on Sunday, June 28, turning a one-hour class into a fundraiser for Home For Good Dog Rescue. The 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. event blended gentle movement with a low-pressure room full of puppies that could wander, cuddle, play, or settle nearby.

The setup was built to welcome people who had never stepped onto a mat before. Registration was set at $35 for adults 18 and older and $25 for high school students ages 16 and up, with proceeds earmarked for rescue needs including medical care, transport and foster placement. The limited space made early sign-up part of the draw, and the class was designed to raise money and put dogs in front of potential fosters and adopters at the same time.

Home For Good Dog Rescue, headquartered in Berkeley Heights, is a 100 percent foster-based New Jersey rescue. It began in 2010 and has saved more than 12,000 dogs in 14 years. Its work includes pulling dogs from high-kill shelters in the South, providing life-saving medical care at its property in Aiken, South Carolina, then transporting them to New Jersey for foster homes and adoption. No dogs live at its Berkeley Heights office because its entire model depends on foster families.

Home For Good recorded 1,034 total dog adoptions in 2020 and had 155 volunteer foster families in New Jersey that year. The puppy yoga fundraiser gave the rescue a public-facing event to spark adoption conversations, build foster interest and bring in direct dollars for care.

Somerset Hills YMCA, at 140 Mount Airy Road in Basking Ridge, provided the venue. Its mission centers on healthy spirit, mind and body, and its programs support physical and mental health, community connection and healthy living.