It’s Never Too Late to Start
My journey into dog rescue happened later in life. Growing up in Pittsburgh, PA, I never had a dog or cat due to my mom’s allergies. My 20s and 30s were spent moving West for my career and really focusing on that. It wasn’t until my late 30s, that my ex suggested that we get a dog. We both wanted a “big” dog and agreed that rescuing one would be best. This was my first entry into the world of rescue. We spent the next few weeks working with Molly’s Mutts and Meows (Los Angeles) to find the perfect dog for us. Finally, Spencer came into our lives as 70 lbs of muscle and tongue. As a pit mix, I was made keenly aware of the stereotypes that surrounded Spence and was told that it was up to me to help break those perceptions as his owner. Because of Spencer, I would go on to volunteer at Molly’s for the next 2 years. I would get death stares from Spencer when I would come home smelling of other dogs. Not long after this, a puppy named Blu, abandoned at Venice Beach would soon join my pack. Over the course of the next few years, my ex and I separated, he would have custody of our two (2) dogs, and I would take jobs in San Francisco and Dallas.
It was in Dallas that my love for rescue blossomed. Missing my boys and being new to the city, I figured why not kill two birds with one stone. Get to know Dallas by going to various adoption events and get my doggie fix on a weekly basis. I started out as simply a volunteer then quickly got asked to be the Event Director. I cherished this role. Every weekend, I showcased our pups and interacted with the public. I got to celebrate rescuing over 250 pups during my time there as well as adopting 2 boys of my own – Junior and Thor. Then COVID hit.
Like most of us, Covid impacted my life. I moved back to Pittsburgh to care for my parents. What I thought to be a temporary move lasted for about 2 years. It wasn’t until recently, that everyone was healthy, and I was able to restart my career again in a large market. HELLO DC! I moved to DC in May’24 and began working for WUSA9(CBS). However, in the course of 2021-2024, I had lost my boys so there was a huge doggie hole in my heart. So, after I got settled in DC, I knew I wanted to get back into rescue. One simple Google search was all it took for me to find Lucky Dog Animal Rescue. I am only a few weeks in, and I am enjoying it immensely. Similar to my Dallas experience, volunteering has forced me to get to know DC, fill my doggie void and meet people. I am glad to be at events, meeting the dogs and volunteers and celebrating as each Lucky Dog or Cat finds their forever home.