Street Dog Hero and Kendall Audi Join Forces for an Adoption Event Filled With Heart

On Sunday, December 7th at the Kendall Audi showroom in Bend, Street Dog Hero volunteer Christin Westmoreland a broker with Cascade Hasson Sotheby’s International Realty helped welcome families to an event filled with holiday décor, tables lined with Pup Portraits, and local vendors offering collars, T-shirts, and seasonal pet gear. Families and their dogs even had the chance to take photos with Santa. Visitors arrived ready to meet adoptable dogs and support Street Dog Hero’s mission.

“Every time I volunteer with Street Dog Hero, I’m reminded that the best parts of Bend aren’t the mountains or the trails. It’s the people,” Christin said. “You see strangers showing up for dogs they’ve never met and giving them a future. That kind of generosity changes a community. Helping people find a place to call home is my career, but helping dogs find theirs has become just as meaningful.”

The annual Holiday Brunch Barket captures that sentiment perfectly. Hosted by Kendall Audi the event blends luxury with heart in a way that feels uniquely Central Oregon. Street Dog Hero’s mission, which includes rescuing dogs from both local and international crises, providing wellness clinics, addressing overpopulation, and offering education in communities that need it most, resonates strongly here.

A Partnership That Has Become Tradition

Street Dog Hero founder and president Marianne Cox (above in red sweater) watched as guests drifted between the puppy adoption pens, the Santa photo station, the bustling vendor tables, and the first-ever public showcase of this year’s Pup Portraits.

“Kendall Cares has been working with us for a few years now,” Marianne said. “The Holiday Barket has become a very important event for us. It gives our dogs the chance to socialize and shine, it connects our volunteers with the community, and it’s become another place where a rescued dog meets the person who will change their life.”

When asked what the community could provide that would make the most meaningful difference, she answered without hesitation.

“We need fosters. Donations help, of course, but fosters are the backbone of Street Dog Hero. We wouldn’t be here eight years later without them.”

Kendall Auto Group Supports Street Dog Hero

“Supporting Street Dog Hero is something we feel deeply proud of,” says Megan Cornett, Community Relations Specialist at Kendall Auto Group. “When we see these dogs rescued, cared for, and finally welcomed into homes where they’re truly loved, it reminds us why giving back matters. Being even a small part of their journey from hardship to hope is incredibly meaningful for our whole team, and we’re grateful to support an organization that brings so much kindness to our community.”

The Foster Families Who Make It Possible

Nearby, volunteer foster parent Nadine Eichhorn stood with her son Xander and daughter Jordan with sleepy foster pups.

“My daughter Jordan found Street Dog Hero on Instagram and said, ‘Mama, you need to foster some puppies,’” Nadine said with a laugh. “Now this is our third set.”

Letting go is always the hardest part, but it is also the reason she continues.

“I get attached,” she admitted, “but when they find their forever home, it feels right. Then we help the next ones.”

Their home in Southwest Bend, close to trails and open space, has become an ideal environment for fostering. Nadine’s daughter, now studying wildlife biology at CU Boulder, stays closely connected to every foster story.

“She has loved animals from the day she was born,” Nadine said. “She loves that we’re doing this.”

A Community That Shows Up, and What Comes Next

Street Dog Hero’s global reach was visible in the room, yet the impact at Kendall Audi felt distinctly local, grounded in generosity and powered by volunteers and businesses willing to step up.

The Holiday Brunch Barket was more than a seasonal event. It showed what happens when a region brings its time, talent, and heart to support animals who need a new beginning.

How the Day Became Personal

My wife, Rebecca, and I didn’t expect to leave the event with a new family member, but that’s exactly what happened. One of the puppies in Nadine Eichhorn’s foster group — a sweet, soulful little girl named Opalite — won us over the moment we met her. Her name, inspired by a Taylor Swift song about finding lasting love, felt fitting the instant she climbed into our arms.

Opalite was rescued from the Umatilla Indian Reservation near Pendleton, Oregon, and she has already made herself at home on our five-acre hobby farm in Bend. She now shares the property with two other adventurous dogs, four crafty cats, thirty-five chickens, and one very fun goat.

Bringing her home made something clear. Street Dog Hero doesn’t just save dogs. It creates connections that shift families, soften hearts, and remind us that choosing to love a rescue animal can change us just as deeply as it changes them.

I hope you’ll join us in supporting Street Dog Hero by donating or volunteering.

Dogs for adoption: