My journey in animal rescue began right out of high school more than 40 years ago. Rescue has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, inspired by my older sister, Kathy, who was passionately involved in animal rescue and was my greatest inspiration.
Not long after her acceptance to veterinary school at OSU, Kathy was diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer and passed away far too soon. Losing her was devastating, but before she passed, I made a vow to carry on the work she loved so deeply. Every life saved and every animal given a second chance is part of honoring her legacy.
In the beginning, I started small. I was young, had very little money, and simply helped however I could — taking in one stray dog here, one stray cat there. Back then, there was no internet or social media to help find homes. We relied on newspaper ads and word of mouth to connect homeless animals with loving families.
As rescue grew, so did my involvement. One of my earliest large-scale efforts was creating the very first Petfinder page for the Carroll County Dog Pound. At that time, dogs were euthanized every Friday afternoon so staff would not need to return over the weekend to care for them. Every Monday I went in and took pictures of each and every dog and posted them on petfinder.com, and every Friday I stepped in and took every dog scheduled for euthanasia. Some were transported to trusted rescue partners in Pennsylvania and New York, while the rest stayed with me until I could foster, rehabilitate, and place them into loving homes.
When the internet became part of rescue work, it opened new doors by helping us connect with adopters more quickly. At the same time, it brought new challenges, making rescues easier for people to locate when they wanted to surrender unwanted animals.
In 2018, we moved to Florida, and I thought my rescue days were behind me. I officially retired, only to discover that the county we moved to had one of the highest stray animal populations in the area. I volunteered with several rescues for a time, but when I saw things being run in ways I could not support, I felt called to step up once again. I applied for nonprofit status and opened another rescue.
After three years in Florida, we returned home to Ohio, and once again, the rescue restarted.
Over the years, I’ve come to realize that rescue isn’t just something I do — it’s part of who I am. More importantly, I believe this is exactly where God has called me to be. Every time I’ve tried to step away, life has led me right back to it.
I’ve accepted that I will likely do rescue for the rest of my life, and I’m honored to continue this mission — not only for the animals, but in memory of my sister Kathy and the legacy she left behind.
To every family who has adopted from a rescue: thank you. Without compassionate people opening their hearts and homes, none of this would be possible.
Together, we are saving lives, creating second chances, and continuing a legacy — one paw at a time.
