Microsoft employees pick Bertram dog rescue for month of giving
A volunteer from Microsoft takes a break from their work to pet Noel, a 10-year-old Great Pyrenees found abandoned on the side of the highway with a broken pelvis. Noel and dozens of other senior dogs have a safe, caring space thanks to Living Grace Canine Ranch near Bertram. Living Grace Canine Ranch photo
Austin-based Microsoft staff partnered with Bertram-based Living Grace Canine Ranch for the company’s employee giving program. The rescue, which specializes in caring for senior dogs, has benefited from volunteer hours, matching donations, and exposure throughout October thanks to the program.
“Partnerships like Microsoft’s employee giving campaign remind us that caring for senior dogs is not a mission we walk alone,” Living Grace founder Rhonda Minardi wrote in an Oct. 28 media release. “With Microsoft employees by our side, we can transform rescue into recovery, and recovery into a life filled with dignity, comfort, and love.”
Living Grace is a nonprofit organization that bills itself as the largest dedicated senior dog sanctuary in Texas. The rescue, located just outside of Bertram, is always accepting donations and looking for volunteers. Learn how to get involved online.
Volunteers from Microsoft visited the ranch on Oct. 17 to plant trees and do other needed work around the property.
The Microsoft Employee Giving Program sees a one-to-one match of up to $15,000 from the company for donations made by employees. Employees gave over $255 million companywide in 2024 and volunteered more than 1.2 million hours.
“At Microsoft, we believe our employees can create meaningful change by giving their time, talent, and resources to strengthen the communities where we live and work,” reads a statement from Gilmere Vieira, a chief of staff with Microsoft. “Partnering with Living Grace Canine Ranch through our October employee giving campaign allows us to support vulnerable senior dogs while also fostering compassion, teamwork, and community impact among our employees.”
