A new nonprofit’s mission is to reduce dog surrenders and mistreatment through education and outreach in central Indiana.

In October, Carmel resident Renee Harlor launched Pogo’s Project. One of its objectives is to keep dogs with their owners by helping to provide information about and solutions to troubling dog behaviors.

“We’re going to help them by providing positive reinforcement training to remedy the problem,” Harlor said. “Therefore, (it becomes) less likely that they’re going to give up that pet because of a problem that’s fixable.”

Pogo’s Project also offers a lifeline to families wanting to keep their pets but face financial hardship by providing pet food, supplies, vaccines and various other dog-related resources.

In January the nonprofit will expand its impact with two free programs, Harlor said.

Pogo’s Pack for children ages 8 to 12 will offer monthly meetups that incorporate crafts, games and projects. The program aims to teach children kindness towards all living things and promotes responsible pet ownership.

For high school students, Young Philanthropists will provide hands-on experience with hosting fundraisers and engaging in community outreach programs.

The nonprofit is named after Harlor’s pit bull, Pogo. Harlor said part of her goal with Pogo’s Project is to teach kindness to others and not judging people – or dogs – based on their looks.

“Part of changing the stigma that surrounds pitbulls is changing the belief that judging people based on one specific thing isn’t the best way to go about it,” Harlor said.

Harlor works for the Indiana Canine Assistant Network as donor relations and events manager. She founded her first nonprofit, Misty Eyes Animal Center, in 2011.

Learn more at pogosproject.org.