Massachusetts has a number of shelters for animals in need, but some stray dogs are rejected because of overcrowding, physical illness or behavioral issues, and others are still roaming the streets. Local nonprofit All Dog Rescue (ADR) focuses its efforts on healing and nurturing these dogs within a network of foster homes, so they can be adopted into loving families in Natick and throughout the state.
A New Way to Help Strays
Though ADR was created in 2003, the organization has remained small. This was an intentional choice on the part of CEO and Executive Director Kate Keegan, who sought to cultivate a limited number of individuals and families committed to ADR’s mission.
“We were formed mostly by people who came from other rescue groups,” Keegan explained. “We were looking to create a new model, one that was more decentralized, and that included the foster parents in selecting the homes for the dogs.”
This means that instead of being limited to a group in one town or city, ADR is able to tap into contacts and resources spread all across Massachusetts, including larger animals’ rights organizations such as the MSPCA in Boston. Most of ADR’s foster homes are in a 30-mile radius of Boston.
ADR’s mission has been locally based since its conception. “People think just because we don’t have a homeless pet overpopulation problem in Massachusetts, there aren’t homeless dogs, but there are,” Keegan said. “We have tons of dogs in shelters. Our mission is to take care of the ones that are already here.”
Bridging the Gaps in Canine Care
ADR finds homes for around 100 dogs per year, aided by their extended network. Local shelters, animal control officers or individuals contact ADR with leads, especially when they discover a dog that needs some extra help and could benefit from being in a foster home.
“Those dogs are usually at one end of the spectrum or another,” Keegan said. “They’re either paralyzed with fear and they don’t show well, or the opposite, where the dog is so stressed that if you take it out to show to a family, it’s jumping and going nuts.”
Although they are often removed from the adoption floors of shelters, these dogs are not lost causes. Once they have had some time nurtured in home environments, they are much more likely to find permanent homes. ADR also fosters dogs with serious medical problems, which shelters often do not have the funds to support.
Sadly, many owners also find themselves in situations where they cannot keep their dogs. “We actually get a lot of emails and phone calls from owners trying to offload them,” Keegan said. Thankfully there are plenty of people who are delighted to invite in a new member to their family, evident by ADR’s adopter stories.
Ginger’s Story
Liz Turi lives in Natick with her family and their dog, Celefin, who they have owned since he was a puppy. In 2014, Celefin was getting on in years and seemed to be lonely, so the family looked for a companion to keep him company.
“We looked around for a local rescue organization, and found All Dogs Rescue, and I’m glad we did,” Turi said. “We thought we knew what we wanted in a dog: small, low-shed and not a puppy. Then we found the description of a beagle, named Ginger, on All Dogs Rescue’s site and fell in love with the idea of her.”
The Turis visited Ginger at her foster home and learned her story. She had been left tied to a pole at a fast food restaurant, was rescued by animal control, and turned over to ADR. She was house-trained, and knew some tricks, so it was obvious she had been taken care of before her abandonment.
Ginger fit right in at the Turi home. “She and Celefin have developed a sibling-like relationship,” Turi described. “They each get upset when the other dog isn’t around. We occasionally find them curled up next to each other.”
Ajax’s and Lulu’s Stories
Ajax was adopted into a family with similar needs. The Zadows, Natick residents since 2002, were looking to adopt a puppy to enliven their senior dog Atlas in his later years. A young Ajax was found wandering the streets in Boston before ADR got involved.
ADR brought Ajax to meet the Zadows at their home, and Julie Zadow remembers that day well. “I know this sounds sappy, but I took one look at this little white dog with the big brown eyes sitting in the crate in the car as he arrived, and when he looked back at me, I just knew he was meant to be our dog,” she said.
Because of his difficult upbringing, he had some emotional and behavioral issues, but he and the family both learned to adjust to each other. Ajax makes a good friend for Atlas, provides a playmate for the two Zadow boys, ages 11 and 14, and is well-loved as a member of the Zadow home.
“He’s a joy, and although rescuing a dog often comes with some challenges, I believe those challenges are worth it,” Julie said. “Someone said to me recently, ‘Saving one dog will not change the world, but surely for that one dog, the world will change forever.’”
Often, the world changes as much for the adoptee as it does for the adopter. Barbara Jane Oriel currently lives in Newton, but lived in Natick for many years. She found her dog Lulu through ADR, and has nothing but praise for her.
“She’s a perfect dog. She’s the love of my life, and she’s wonderful,” Oriel said. “ADR was very kind to me. I highly recommend them.”
To learn more about ADR, visit www.alldogrescue.org.
Issue Date:
June, 2017
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