The Dogs of Hope is a forthcoming compilation album created to raise money to help benefit Randolph County Animal Shelter in rural Alabama. Though operating without any public funding or county support., the no-kill, privately run facility has saved thousands of animal lives since being founded in 2007.
The compilation features new or previously unreleased music from such artists Snapcase, Killswitch Engage, Deadguy, Orange 9mm, and Walter Schreifels (Quicksand, Rival Schools).
The Dogs of Hope LP is coming out through Iodine Recordings and was spearheaded by longtime music industry and hardcore scene veteran, Tom Bejgrowicz, who began volunteering at Randolph County Animal Shelter in 2020.
I had an insightful chat with Tom about the story behind the compilation, working with the bands featured on it, and his personal connection to the shelter.
Tell me a bit about the shelter and how you came to be involved with their cause.
The Randolph County Animal Shelter, despite its county government-sounding name, is a privately-run, no-kill shelter in Wedowee, Alabama—a town of roughly 800 people within a county of just 22,000. At any given time, the RCAS houses 45-50 dogs/puppies as well as 10-15 cats/kittens. There are only four paid employees at the shelter, and only three on location at a time. Besides the shelter receiving a small percentage of taxes levied on cigarette sales in the county, its funding is mostly local and is entirely donation-based.
Over the last five years, my wife and I have gone from volunteering one morning a week in the cat room to her joining the staff, first as Kennel Tech and later as Kennel Supervisor, and my volunteering two full days a week—as well as recently being named to the Board of Directors.
While the shelter has always supplied the animals veterinary care, food, water, and shelter from the elements—it was my goal to make the animal’s time spent at the shelter as quality and loving as possible. Their happiness, adoptability, and mental health is now addressed through exercise, socialization, and enrichment. Our efforts and techniques evolved over time as we’ve grown to understand more of what works and how we can best help them feel like good, happy dogs.
You mention being based in rural Alabama. Does the location factor bigger into the financial issues versus a shelter would have in a bigger city?
Being rural, no matter where you are in Alabama or New York State, means dealing with conservative and often backward attitudes toward animal care, spay/neuter, neglect, and abuse of animals.
Being rural, in a non-affluent county like Randolph, means dealing with tough financial scenarios year in and year out. Where to find the funds to run the shelter, how best to spend them, maintaining a lean but effective staffing situation, and doing the best for the animals presents its challenges. In sharp contrast, although facing their own challenges, shelters in vibrant, populated cities with a prosperous community fund their shelters through taxes, corporate sponsorships, and more—something the RCAS in Wedowee has no access to.
That’s why I’m “all in” on fundraising for the shelter because, thanks to my years of working in the music industry, I have an outreach beyond the county that can be team up with old and new friends alike to create something that delivers incredible music of our time as well as help for those who need it.
How did you and Casey from Iodine Recordings come together to make the compilation happen? Anyone who has ever released a compilation knows how much of an utter nightmare it can be since there’s so many other factors involved!
Several years ago I began designing albums for Casey and Iodine Recordings. Over that time, the work has turned into a true collaboration and friendship.
In 2022, I sold Fugazi and In Solitude zines with the sole purpose of raising funds to renovate the cat room, which my wife and I did ourselves. Around the time we were completing that work, Casey and I were on the phone and I mentioned how I wanted to do something to raise funds for the dogs next. Without any hesitation, Casey said, “Why don’t we do a comp?” Immediately, I was like, “Okay, yeah, I love it!”
That was two years ago and, as you noted, comps are a ton of work. With Casey’s help, I’ve done all that I could to build an exciting and killer lineup of artists who believed in the cause. Multiply every ounce of work by 13 artists instead of just one and, yeah, compilations are brutally taxing and time consuming. I’ve created two over the years but not since the ’90s and I forgot how tough of a go it can be.
Were all the bands you approached on board from the get go?
Almost all of the artists on the comp were an immediate “yes.” No hesitation. All excitement. A few others had things to discuss due to logistics within their own camps but they all came together in the end. That anyone would listen and go out of their way to help this cause was not lost on me. I remain so thankful for everyone involved.
Naturally, every compilation starts with a monster list of bands to pursue and not all of them come on board, or even reply to your request at all. The process can be extremely disheartening at times but I was never going to give up on the dogs. So much so, I’ve already built out plans for Vol. 2 and Vol. 3 going forward.
In the end, when I sequenced the record and heard all of the tracks together for the first time—I was so proud of everyone’s efforts. I was so excited. I was so ready for the world to hear this. At the same time, I believe it’s about the hardcore and metal communities stepping up and delivering true on the independent, punk ethos that rises above the musical art form.
To be punk is to fight for David, not Goliath. It’s about intelligence, compassion, principles, and knowing what needs to be done to create a better, more ethical society. That sounds idealistic, I know, but this is the heart of punk and hardcore and I’m so thankful to be part of it.
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The Dogs of Hope benefit compilation will be out on August 8th via Iodine Recordings (pre-order).
Tagged: deadguy, killswitch engage, snapcase
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