Jim Paolucci, of Warwick, is an active member of the community that includes volunteering with the Warwick Police Department, serving on the Warwick Board of Public Safety and supporting local youth sports teams.
In 2014, Paolucci founded the Brandi Project after rescuing a puppy from a kill shelter in Tennessee through PAWS New England. Since then, the Brandi Project has raised more than $50,000 in support of animal rescue and animal rescue-related efforts.
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PBN: How did the Brandi Project come to fruition?
PAOLUCCI: After adopting Brandi with the help of PAWS New England and learning more about the sad fate that awaits many shelter animals, I felt I needed to do something to help provide a revenue stream for dog rescue efforts. That was 2014 and it led to the beginning of the Brandi Project, a not-for-profit that raises money through charitable events, selling merchandise and direct donations, and then gives that money to support animal rescue and animal rescue efforts.
To date, we have raised more than $50,000, all of which has been given to organizations such as PAWS New England, Providence Animal Rescue League, Rhode Island SPCA [Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals] and many others. Although Brandi passed away in April 2022 from complications due to SARDS, her spirit remains alive and well in the Brandi Project and will help and inspire us to continue to raise money for and awareness of animal rescue efforts.
PBN: Can you explain sudden acquired retinal degeneration syndrome and how it affects dogs?
PAOLUCCI: Sudden acquired retinal degeneration syndrome is characterized by very rapid vision loss in adult dogs, in which the destruction of the rods and cones – the photoreceptors – of the retina happens quickly and leads to blindness. The cause of SARDS is unknown and is the subject of significant ongoing research. Affected dogs are typically middle-age and older, and all breeds can be affected.
Most dogs affected, sadly, will become completely blind within a few weeks of the onset of their noticeable vision loss. Unfortunately, there is no effective treatment or cure. And while the disease itself is not terminal or physically painful to the animal and many pets adjust to the resulting blindness, some dogs become depressed, anxious, or sullen. There are about 4,000 cases of SARDS diagnosed in the United States annually.
PBN: What do you hope the $2,500 grant to ACVO Vision Animal Foundation can do to address the disease?
PAOLUCCI: There are several labs and studies currently researching SARDS nationwide, and in the spirit of the Brandi Project, we look to provide grants and resources to local organizations. So, after some research and community outreach, we learned about the ACVO Vision Animal Foundation and a local SARDS study they are funding.
The study is being conducted by Dr. Ken Abrams and is titled, “Olfaction Evaluation in Dogs with Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration Syndrome” (Sniffin’ out SARDS). We’d like to see the funds help toward understanding the disease, what causes it and, potentially, help in developing a treatment.
Medical research studies are very costly and also require a lot of time and resources. We are hoping that our contribution will help to ease some of the burdens associated with those aspects of the study.
PBN: What other initiatives does Brandi Project support?
PAOLUCCI: Over the last eight years, the Brandi Project has helped a number of local animal rescue organizations. Along with those I mentioned previously, we’ve also supported East Greenwich Animal Protection League, Handsome Dan’s Rescue, and many city and town rescue organizations. Through generous contributions from the community and fundraising via the sales of Brandi Store merchandise, these initiatives will continue on in the spirit of Brandi.
Additionally, we’re hoping to also grow the project so we may provide even more resources and funding to organizations such as ACVO Vision Animal Foundation that are researching conditions such as SARDS in hopes of one day finding a treatment or even a cure.
PBN: What initiatives or programs is the project hoping to bring to light in the future?
PAOLUCCI: Through the Brandi Project, we will continue our commitment to fund organizations that support animal rescue and animal rescue efforts, while also providing grants that help to fund animal medical research.
The Brandi Project also regularly hosts pet adoption events and fundraisers, and we raise money for all of our initiatives by selling merchandise and memorabilia in our physical store located inside the Cowesett Inn in West Warwick and on our website. We invite everyone to follow us on Facebook to learn more and to stay up to date on events and fundraisers. Together, we can continue to provide shelter dogs a lifeline for a lifetime.
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
