Sarah's Treasures Rescue Launches 'Hungry Bowl' Dog Food Fundraiser in Watertown

Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - Sarah’s Treasures Rescue is calling on the Watertown community to help restock its shelves through its annual “Hungry Bowl” dog food fundraiser while seeking foster and forever homes for 17 dogs currently in its care.

Sarah Christians, founder of Sarah’s Treasures Rescue, and her daughter Cheyenne recently joined Steve Jurrens in the Northeast Radio SD studio alongside two adoptable dogs—Stella and Marshmallow—to share details on the fundraiser and the foster-based nonprofit’s mission.

‘Hungry Bowl’ Fundraiser Aims for 2,500 Pounds of Food

Held once or twice a year, the Hungry Bowl fundraiser targets a goal of 2,500 pounds of dry dog food—an amount that fits comfortably in the rescue’s storage areas while keeping the food fresh.

With 17 dogs currently in foster care, Christians said the rescue goes through an average of 25.5 to 35 pounds of food every day, or roughly 1.5 to 2 pounds per dog depending on size. A single 50-pound bag of food feeds all of the dogs in the rescue for nearly two days.

This year, the rescue introduced a “Choose Your Pup and Fill Their Bowl” option through its online fundraising platform, GiveButter. Supporters can select a specific adoptable dog—each with a $250 individual fundraising goal—or contribute to a general fund. Cash donations are used to purchase dog food in bulk through the Watertown Tractor Supply Co. (TSC).

“TSC gives us a great deal,” Christians said. “We can purchase 32 bags of food for right about $700, which is huge. It’s a huge cost savings—it’s about 22 cents a pound, if I remember right when I figured it out, versus, I think, like 70-some.”

Christians noted that raising $1,500 would allow the rescue to purchase two bulk shipments totaling 64 bags of food. Covering food expenses through community donations allows the rescue to direct its remaining funds toward veterinary care, including vaccinations, spay and neuter surgeries, dental procedures, grooming, and emergency surgeries for dogs that arrive with broken bones.

Foster-Based Model Focuses on Rehabilitation and Patience

Unlike traditional animal shelters with a central physical facility, Sarah’s Treasures Rescue operates entirely through volunteer foster families within a two-hour radius of Watertown. The rescue typically cares for up to 25 or 26 dogs at its peak, prioritizing a family environment and individualized attention.

Many of the dogs enter the rescue from South Dakota reservations or difficult living situations where they experienced minimal human interaction or past trauma.

“I also strive for the small family feel—the ‘each dog matters,’” Christians said. “We can go a little bit slower with a dog because they need the time and not feel so pressured to keep moving and stuff—quality over quantity, per se.”

During the studio visit, Christians highlighted several dogs currently available for adoption:

·        Stella: A three-year-old dog who resembles a classic German shepherd but whose DNA test revealed Chihuahua as her top breed among roughly 19 different breeds. Stella is shy initially and requires a home without cats and with another resident dog to serve as her “security blanket”.

·        Marshmallow: A two-year-old dog who arrived at the rescue a year ago too frightened to walk on a leash. Christians said he has blossomed in foster care and is ready for a patient home willing to take things slow.

·        Duke: A dog recovering from past trauma who has been working with a trainer to build confidence in public. Duke prefers men over women, loves having another dog companion, requires a cat-free home, and needs a firm, confident owner.

·        Wheezy: A full-grown, two-year-old tricolor miniature Australian shepherd weighing 20 pounds with a big personality.

Christians also emphasized that the rescue remains in close contact with families after adoption to help dogs adjust—citing recent success stories like Rocky, who took a couple of months of patient teamwork with his adoptive family to overcome severe nervousness, and Thor, a shepherd-Malamute mix who spent just over three years in foster care before finding an active forever home in Sioux Falls.

How to Donate, Foster, or Adopt

Community members can support the Hungry Bowl fundraiser or get involved with Sarah’s Treasures Rescue in several ways:

·        Online Monetary & “Choose Your Pup” Donations: Visit sarahstreasuresrescue.net to donate via GiveButter toward bulk food purchases.

·        Tractor Supply Co. (Watertown): Call the Watertown Tractor Supply store directly to donate a bag of food over the phone (the rescue primarily uses 50-pound bags of Retriever brand food to maintain a stable diet, though bags of any size or brand are accepted and mixed in). Donors can also order online at tractorsupply.com, select the Watertown store, list “Sarah’s Treasures” as the pickup person, and call the store once the order is placed so staff can set it aside.

·        Amazon & Chewy Wish Lists: Links on sarahstreasuresrescue.net allow donors to ship bags of food directly to the rescue’s treasurer.

·        South Dakota Gives: The rescue is participating in the statewide South Dakota Gives campaign leading up to the annual day of giving on the first Tuesday in December, featuring weekly behind-the-scenes social media challenges.

Foster Applications: Families within a two-hour radius of Watertown can apply to foster at sarahstreasuresrescue.net or via the Sarah’s Treasures Rescue Facebook page. The rescue provides all food, supplies, and veterinary care through its local veterinarian.