Who’s that daring young woman on the flying trapeze? It’s Kyla Duffy, president of Up For Pups and founder of Happy Tails Books, and she’s taking to the air to support rescue organizations and raise awareness about puppy mills.
On February 12, 2011, Duffy will perform Don’t Kill Bill: A Dog Lover’s Night Out, at the Dairy Center for the Arts in Boulder, Colorado. As Duffy puts it, she will “risk life, limb, and dignity” to present her aerial fabric performance. The event is designed to showcase the joys of adopting a rescued dog, while also shining a spotlight on the horrors of the puppy mill industry.
According to the Up for Pups website, Don’t Kill Bill is “an exciting evening of aerial dance and storytelling to celebrate the joy adopted dogs bring to our lives.” In addition, “ticket sales benefit the development of a best practices manual for new and growing rescue organizations." Duffy's goal in creating the manual is to help rescue groups work as efficiently as possible in order the save the greatest number of animals.
The show's title character is Duffy’s own dog, a Boston terrier named Bill who was rescued from a puppy mill. While Bill is now a happy dog with a contagious joy for life, he was not always this way, and his dramatic journey from puppy mill breeding dog to cherished family pet is a focal point of the Don’t Kill Bill performance.
Duffy states that she came up with the idea for the show after she edited "Dog Blessed: Puppy Mill Survivor Stories" for Happy Tails Books. She was inspired to take action to raise awareness about puppy mills, and decided to combine one of her aerial fabric performances with a slide show about puppy mills and volunteering. In the past, her aerial performances had always generated interest, so she was optimistic that her new show would have the same impact. She first tried out the concept at the 2010 Blogpaws conference, and the results were just as she had hoped. The performance was a hit, and the Don’t Kill Bill show was born soon after.
The February event will feature two aerial performances, with an impressive line-up of entertainers that includes Duffy, Jessie Miller, Clementine the Cattle Dog, and Bill himself. Those unable to make the show will have the opportunity to purchase a DVD of the performance, with proceeds going towards the creation of the best practices rescue manual.
Up for Pups also joined forces with Happy Tails Books to produce an audio book as an accompaniment to the show. The book, entitled "The Best of Lost Souls: FOUND! ," is a compilation of the best stories submitted to Happy Tails from those who have fostered or adopted dogs.
In addition, numerous rescue organizations will be present at the Boulder event, and attendees will have the opportunity to talk with them both before the show, and during intermission. While the organizations will not have their dogs present, Duffy will be showcasing their adoptables on stage, and discussing their wonderful work in the world of rescue and adoption. A list of the participating organizations is available on the Up for Pups site.
Duffy is excited to have this chance to promote humane education through such creative and innovative means, and has no intention of stopping when the curtain falls on the Boulder show. She is committed to continuing the fight against puppy mills, and hopes she will soon be taking Bill on the road, and flying high at venues all across the country.
Want to help?
- Tickets for the Don’t Kill Bill show are still available! Click here to learn more about the event, and to purchase tickets.
- Sign up for the Up for Pups mailing list here to learn when the DVD of the performance will be available.
- Visit Happy Tails Books to purchase "The Best of Lost Souls: Found!" and other animal rescue stories. All proceeds benefit rescue organizations.
Photos courtesy of Kyla Duffy