Big Dog Match Week: Every Dollar Doubled for the Big Ones
Every August 26th, the world celebrates National Dog Day — a day to honor the dogs in our lives and to shine a light on the thousands of big dogs sitting in shelters and rescues, waiting for a family. This year, we're marking it with something we're calling Big Dog Match Week.
From Wednesday, August 19th through Wednesday, August 26th, every single dollar you donate to our Adopt the Big Ones Fund, we match — dollar for dollar. Your $25 becomes $50. Your $50 becomes $100. Twice the help for the big dogs who need it most.
Our story started with a rescue named Lucy.
When we adopted our Great Dane from a kill shelter, she was hours away from being euthanized. We didn't know her whole story then — we just knew she deserved a chance. What we couldn't find, once we brought her home, was joint support made for a dog her size. So we built it. That's how The Big Damn Dog Co. began.
But Lucy taught us something bigger than a product gap. She showed us what rescue actually takes — the foster families opening their homes, the vets donating their time, the rescuers working around the clock on shoestring budgets to give one more big dog a second chance. Giant breeds are underestimated and underserved, and when life gets hard, too many of them end up surrendered.
That's why rescue and foster care mean everything to us. Lucy gave us our mission. Big Dog Match Week is how we pay it forward.
How Big Dog Match Week works
We've partnered with giant breed rescues who each nominated one adoptable dog — a real big dog with a real story. All week long, we're spotlighting those dogs across our social channels so you can meet them. And every dollar raised that week is split equally among the participating rescues, then doubled by our match.
When you give, you're not just helping one dog. You're supporting the whole network of people working to get big dogs into the homes they deserve — funding foster care, medical treatment, transitional care, and the joint support these dogs need as they grow.
How you can help
Head to our Adopt the Big Ones Fund page and donate what you can — one time, or as a monthly gift that keeps the support coming all year. Every dollar you give this week, we match.
Follow along all week to meet the dogs we're spotlighting. Some are in foster care waiting for adoption. Some just came into rescue and need medical care first. All of them deserve a chance.
Why the big ones need us
Giant breeds make up an unfortunate share of shelter and rescue populations. People underestimate what it takes to raise a 100-plus pound dog — the space, the food, the vet bills, especially as they age. Rescues step into that gap. They rehabilitate, they foster, and they place these dogs in the right homes. But they run on donations and volunteers, and the need is always bigger than the resources.
This week, we're asking you to be part of closing that gap. Donate, share, or simply follow along and help us spread the word.
For us, it started with Lucy — twelve hours from a very different ending. Now it's about making sure other big dogs get the chance she got. #BigDogMatchWeek
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About the Author
Sarah McLean is the Co-Founder of The Big Damn Dog Co., a brand built specifically for giant breed dogs and the people who love them. Her work is rooted in one mission: helping big dogs live more, better years.
She didn’t set out to build a dog supplement company. It started with her own Great Dane, Lucy, who came into her life after a rough start and changed everything. What began as a personal commitment to give one dog a better life turned into a larger mission to support giant breed dogs everywhere.
Today, Sarah shares what she’s learned through real-life experience, ongoing research, and countless conversations with veterinarians, trainers, and pet care professionals. Her approach is honest, prevention-focused, and built around the belief that big dogs don’t need more. They need better.
