Big Paws of the Ozarks hosted its third-annual trivia night to help at-risk dogs get their forever homes on Nov. 15.
The trivia night was hosted at Columbus House
Brewery and to play trivia, admission was $10 each. Six puppies were available to adopt, and other dogs were welcome to attend.
“We are always looking for creative ways to kinda get the community together,” said Executive Director Kayle Mayes, ”and also get word out about the dogs that we have in rescue.”
Last year, Big Paws rehabilitated and rehomed 218 dogs. Dogs are often rescued from local shelters that are overcrowded. Big Paws specializes in prioritizing dogs that are at-risk of being euthanized or have fallen through the cracks of other shelters.
Mayes said the puppies available to adopt at the event were especially susceptible to dreadful outcomes. The six puppies and their mother were scheduled for euthanasia at their previous shelter. But, through Big Paws, they were put into the hands of loving foster homes and eventually permanent families.
“All of our dogs live in homes while they’re waiting to be adopted,” said Hayes. “So, we have about 45 dogs right now waiting to be adopted, but they’re all living in loving foster homes.”
Big Paws started helping the community since its founding in 2016. Shannon and Daniel Eldrige saw a need for big dogs to find loving homes. Since then, Big Paws has worked with 90 different foster homes to rehabilitate over 600 dogs.
Dogs of all kinds come through their doors. At the event, a three-day-old puppy was being passed around. Hayes said the puppy was born with a cleft-palate and didn’t have a high chance of survival in a shelter. Big Paws has made it their mission to shine a light on dogs who would otherwise be neglected.
This event brought the community together, as well as successfully found dogs loving homes. People were seen smiling and cozied up to their dogs at the trivia night. 
Mayes said the need for their services in Northwest Arkansas is growing as is their team. Last year, Mayes had only one other staff member, and now her team has doubled. She anticipates that Big Paws will rehome over 400 dogs this year.