{"id":302308,"date":"2026-10-08T12:16:06","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T12:16:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/302308\/"},"modified":"2026-10-08T12:16:06","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T12:16:06","slug":"meet-the-real-underdogs-of-philly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/302308\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Real Underdogs of Philly"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For Underdogs of Philly<\/a> co-presidents Cara Brand and Caroline Lipinski, the first requirement for volunteering for their organization is leaving your judgements at home, or maybe getting rid of them altogether. Underdogs is, in their words, a \u201csmall but mighty\u201d nonprofit that helps dogs that live outdoors in Philly, a situation many animal lovers tend to scorn. And scorn harshly.<\/p>\n

\"\"Cara Brand with Aria, an Underdogs of Philly client. <\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t always that way. Until the mid-century in the U.S., most pets lived out of doors. It was how things were done. These days, however, most U.S. pet owners endeavor to keep their dogs, cats and other non-farm animals indoors. For pets, as for humans, indoor life is safer, healthier, more humane.<\/p>\n

\"\"Left to right: Caroline Lipinski, siblings Cardi B and Mr. President (atop an old washing machine), and Brand. <\/p>\n

In Philadelphia, however, it\u2019s legal to keep your dog outdoors, provided the enclosed setting includes an elevated, insulated shelter, access to food and water, and limited hours on a regulation-length tether. Many residents\u2019 cultures, family practices, or living constraints lead them to keep pets outside. For these folks, it\u2019s how things still are.<\/p>\n

\"\"Brand with Rocky. <\/p>\n

Brand, a genetics professor who runs a research lab at Rutgers University, and Lipinski, a fundraising consultant, have been involved with animal welfare, volunteering for organizations like ACCT, the city\u2019s largest animal shelter, for about five years each. They know how crowded places like ACCT are \u2014 and know what often happens to animals when a shelter reaches capacity. To them, helping dog owners keep their dogs safe, healthy and comfortable at home \u2014 even if that home is in the elements \u2014 is much better than the alternative.<\/p>\n

\"\"Lipinski (left) and volunteer Adele Becht lift a doghouse into a yard. The small but mighty work of Underdogs of Philly \"\"Mr. President, Cardi B\u2019s brother, waiting for medication. <\/p>\n

Lipinski and Brand officially established Underdogs of Philly as a nonprofit in September 2025. They have about 30 volunteers who consistently care for about the same number of dogs, visiting them, at minimum monthly, mostly on weekends in Strawberry Mansion, West Philly and Kensington. Like many small grassroots organizations that care for animals, they\u2019re funded almost entirely through donations from people who follow their work on social media. (They\u2019d like to expand outside these neighborhoods, but need more helpers and funding before they can do that.)<\/p>\n

\"\"Volunteers Kristi Saeger (left), Sam, and Roshini Stephen (standing.) <\/p>\n

This August, Drexel photography student Hailey Rauso followed Brand, Lipinski and other Underdogs of Philly volunteers to the homes of a few dogs they care for. Each pet, each pet\u2019s family, required and requires different forms of help.<\/p>\n

\"\"Brand delivers dog food. <\/p>\n

Some needed their areas cleared of debris. One needed a fence repaired. There was a dog house to install, sun shades and fly traps to hang, flea, tick and heartworm prevention medications to distribute, tug-o-war to be played, and walks to be taken. Other days, Underdogs volunteers take dogs to doggie daycare for enrichment and socialization, deliver dog food and medications, and, when the situation calls for it, groceries for the pets\u2019 humans. Three times a year, they provide rides to the vet at PAWS for wellness checks, spaying and neutering, and vaccinations \u2014\u00a0all free of charge.<\/p>\n

\"\"Kristi Saeger with Kenny, who received emergency shelter from Underdogs of Philly when he had to leave his home after a house fire. <\/p>\n

For some of the pet owners who they\u2019ve grown close to, they\u2019ve even brought crates, so they can bring their dogs indoors.<\/p>\n

\"\"Cleaning a dog bowl. \"\"Delivering cans of dog food. \"\"Dog food in an backyard. \"\"Left to right: Stephen, Brand, Saeger. \"\"Brand cleans out a dog\u2019s outdoor area. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

MORE ON PETS IN PHILADELPHIA<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Caroline Lipinski (background), Cardi B (the dog), and Cara Brand. Photo by Hailey Rausa. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For Underdogs of Philly co-presidents Cara Brand and Caroline Lipinski, the first requirement for volunteering for their organization…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":302309,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[69,71,70,15881],"class_list":["post-302308","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-philadelphia","tag-philadelphia","tag-philadelphia-headlines","tag-philadelphia-news","tag-volunteering"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/302308","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=302308"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/302308\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/302309"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=302308"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=302308"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=302308"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}