It was a barking good time in Washington state this week when Raising Cane’s made a fetching donation to Lee Asher.
The Discovery+ star of “My Pack Life” was joined by some of his friendly pups at the Vancouver franchise location for a special awards ceremony in honor of National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day. Asher and his furry friends from The Asher House were on site to collect $100,000 donation from proceeds raised during Raising Cane’s Golden Plush Puppy campaign. The brand’s “golden birthday” campaign made the incredible moment happen as well as a grand total of $350,000 collected for pet welfare organizations across the country.
The idea of the campaign came about years ago to raise money for pet welfare initiatives. To date, the plush puppy sales have generated over $8 million in donations.
The man of the hour and the five dogs Patrick, Butters, Cali, Matilda, and Tommy were smitten with the campaign and the good deed of the donation to their facility. In the true Raising Cane’s spirit of “One Love,” the funds will help spread goodwill in the typical style of helping all creatures – people and animals equally – on the planet.
“This donation is a testament to living my mission and gives us the energy to push forward and save more animals,” the television personality said while cuddling with his pets who came to live with him and his team after being rescued.
The sweetness of the day had attendees wagging their heads with appreciation and having their hearts filled with joy. It was hard not to be at the event without seeing someone stop to take a photo of the precious pets who were decked out in Cane’s doggie attire and playing with plush toys. The restaurants beloved mascot while not there in person was across the country with owner (and Raising Cane’s Founder) Todd Graves, who called in via FaceTime to thank Asher for his loyalty to the animal community.
“I’m honored to present Lee with a $100,000 donation – the largest he’s ever received – for The Asher House to help support all the great work he does for animals in need,” said Graves. “I’m a pet lover myself and have a rescue dog named Clove and am so inspired by Lee’s story and the thousands of animals he’s rescued over the years. I know he’ll put this donation to great use and I’m looking forward to continuing to support Lee and The Asher House for years to come, and hopefully getting out to see the sanctuary one day!”
VANCOUVER, WASHINGTON – APRIL 30: TikTok Animal Welfare Activist Lee Asher Accepts $100,000 Check from Raising Cane’s for The Asher House Nonprofit at Raising Cane’s on April 30, 2025 in Vancouver, Washington. (Photo by Mat Hayward/Getty Images for Raising Cane’s)
It wasn’t just lip service when the animal advocate Asher then told the crowd, “The art of living is giving. Businesses need to find a purpose and give back – that’s just as important as providing their service. Not many businesses are doing things the way Cane’s is.”
When Asher had a moment to sit and dine with his faithful pack he was all smiles as he took one bite of his box combo and declared it to be “the best” chicken fingers he ever had. The lucky puppies even had the time of their lives on the outing when they were fed a few french fries under the table.
Reflecting on the significance of the day hosted by the franchise, Asher kindly revealed why the day meant so much to him and his animals.
“It really shows the importance of never giving up. It wasn’t too long ago when we really didn’t know how to fund our sanctuary when we weren’t The Asher house all over social media,” he told Knockturnal. “When I first decided to start a sanctuary, the biggest concern was being able to afford it, and this is such a beautiful testament to living your mission and not giving up. You know, money is energy. That’s all it is, in my opinion. And this gives us the energy to do so much more and to push forward and save so many more animals. So it really is just the beginning of something so beautiful.”
The $100,000 donation stems from proceeds Raising Cane’s raised during its Golden Plush Puppy campaign from March 19 through April 29, celebrating the Chicken Finger brand’s “golden birthday” of turning 28 years on the 28th day of the month by selling limited-edition, all-gold plush puppies for $9.99 both in-Restaurant and online. Inspired by Cane’s yellow lab namesake, the Golden Plush Puppy features an all-gold Cane III in her paw-ty best. The cuddly collectible wasn’t just cute, but for a cause, with 100% of net proceeds benefiting pet welfare organizations across the country.
In addition to the plush puppy campaign, there are Raising Cane’s dog parks in local Communities and each Restaurant is continually making a difference for pets in need through a variety of ways. Over the years, Cane’s has supported thousands of local pet welfare organizations through adoption days, give back/donation days, toy and food drives, National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day events, owner education classes, free pet tags with leashes and collars, pet spotlights, dog park events, vaccination clinics, and more. All in, Raising Cane’s is involved with over 9,000 pet welfare organizations and has donated over $13,500,000 to pet welfare causes.
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