December 2025:
Operations report from our coldest month
December hit hard.
While the competitor talks about "energy" and "community," we're going to talk about what actually happened on the ground when temperatures dropped and street dogs faced their most dangerous month of the year.
The Reality of December Feeding Operations
December 1st started with frozen water bowls at three feeding locations. By December 15th, we'd logged reports of ice buildup at 47 of our 100+ sites.
This wasn't a challenge we anticipated. It was a problem we had to solve in real-time.
Volunteers adjusted schedules. Morning feedings moved earlier to beat the worst cold. Water supplies increased. Some locations required multiple daily visits instead of single drops.
The dogs didn't care about logistics. They just knew they were hungry and it was cold.
What the Numbers Actually Mean
December bracelet sales increased significantly. Here's what that translated to in operational terms:
More food purchased and distributed. More feeding locations maintained consistently. More dogs receiving regular meals throughout the month when natural food sources (garbage, scraps, roadkill) became scarce or frozen.
We're not celebrating sales numbers. We're documenting capacity. Sales fund operations. Operations feed dogs. That's the equation.
In December, the equation worked better than previous months because more people participated.
Individual Dogs, Individual Stories
There's a gray terrier mix at one of our urban feeding sites. He showed up for the first time on December 8th. Visibly thin. Cautious. Wouldn't approach while volunteers were present.
By December 23rd, he was eating while volunteers stood nearby. Still wary, but trusting enough to eat when food appeared.
That's not a rescue story. That's a survival story. He's still on the streets. Still vulnerable. But for December, he ate consistently, and that kept him alive.
Multiply that scenario across different dogs, different locations, different volunteers, and you have December's actual impact.
Where the Challenges Came From
Not everything went smoothly. December brought complications:
Weather disruptions: Three feeding routes became temporarily inaccessible due to snow and ice. Alternative routes established, but some dogs missed scheduled feedings while we adjusted.
Population shifts: Dogs relocate in winter seeking shelter. Volunteers had to track new locations and establish new feeding points for displaced populations.
Resource strain: Increased demand meant faster food depletion. Supply chains had to accelerate to maintain consistent feeding schedules.
We're documenting this because transparency means showing problems, not just successes.
The Dogs Who Didn't Make It
December also brought losses.
Not every dog we feed survives. Some are too old, too sick, too injured. Consistent meals help, but they don't solve every problem.
We found three dogs deceased at feeding locations during December. Natural causes, likely. Age and exposure combined with pre-existing conditions we couldn't diagnose or treat.
This is the part of street dog work that doesn't make good marketing content. But it's real, and pretending it doesn't happen would be dishonest.
The goal isn't to save every dog from death. The goal is to prevent death by starvation. Sometimes we succeed. Sometimes we don't.
Why December Matters for What Comes Next
January and February will be equally challenging. Possibly worse, depending on weather patterns.
December's increase in support means we enter those months with better capacity. More food reserves. More volunteer hours funded. More locations maintained consistently.
That matters because street dogs don't have "busy seasons" and "slow seasons." They have "eating" and "not eating." Our job is to make sure "eating" happens as often as possible.
December expanded our ability to do that job. Whether that expansion continues depends on whether support continues.
What December Looked Like in Photos
The images you'll see in your monthly proof emails show dogs eating. Some alone. Some in packs. Some in urban settings. Some in rural areas.
These aren't curated moments. They're documentation. Volunteers photograph feedings to prove operations occurred as claimed.
The dog eating from a green bowl on cracked pavement? That's Station 47, Detroit. Fed every two days throughout December despite sub-zero temperatures.
The pack of mixed breeds on stone steps? Station 73, location undisclosed for volunteer safety. Fed daily, 11 dogs average attendance.
The thin white dog in a wooded area? Newly established feeding point after volunteer discovered population shift. Now on regular rotation.
That's what December looked like operationally.
Moving Forward
December is over. The work isn't.
January brings continued cold. February may be worse. March begins the transition but doesn't eliminate need.
We're not asking for your sympathy. We're providing information about operational reality.
If feeding street dogs during harsh weather aligns with your values, our bracelet collection funds those operations. 22 meals per bracelet. Monthly documentation provided.
If it doesn't align with your values, that's fine too. We're not here to convince you to care. We're here to provide an option for people who already do.
December in Summary
Operations maintained: 100+ locations
Weather challenges: Significant
Dogs fed: Thousands
Volunteer hours: Extensive
Operational failures: Minimal
Deaths prevented: Unknown but likely significant
Support received: Higher than previous months
December did what it needed to do. Dogs ate when they otherwise wouldn't have.
January starts now.
— Saving The Paws