5 minute read
Rescue Spotlight:Rosie Rescue
WRITTEN BY: KATHERINE BANNISTER, Media Intern
Rosie Rescue goes beyond just rescuing dogs from rural shelters; they also find loving foster homes where the dogs can learn to build their confidence and eventually thrive. With the end goal of finding permanent homes with loving families, the organization not only saves lives but also provides the tools necessary for dogs to make the transition to their new lives.
Lindsay Tompkins, founder of Rosie Rescue, says she has always loved animals and always knew she wanted to start a dog rescue. Last year, Lindsay adopted Rosie, whom the rescue is aptly named after; however, sadly Rosie suffered from severe neurological issues which led to the difficult decision to put her to rest. After this tremendous loss, Lindsay found herself questioning if she was ready to start her dream rescue. Yet, confronted by the overwhelming number of dogs in shelters who were waiting for their forever homes and the alarming rate of euthanasia within shelters, Lindsay recognized the need for a foster-based rescue that pulled dogs from these circumstances and decided it was now or never. Thus, Rosie Rescue was formed with the mission of saving dogs from rural shelters in order to place them in foster homes that could love, support, and prepare them for finding their permanent homes.
Founded in August of 2023, the mission of Rosie Rescue is as follows: to be a lifeline for dogs in need, offering a second chance and a warm embrace. They bring strong knowledge, dedication, and a shared commitment to animal welfare. Lindsay and her team are dedicated to providing the necessary resources and time these dogs require in order to start their new lives. Rosie Rescue has certainly done just that, having saved over 70 dogs that would have otherwise been euthanized since opening.
In order to provide the resources necessary for these dogs, Lindsay utilizes volunteers, who act as temporary foster parents for the dogs. Lindsay and her team empower fosters to work with their dogs by providing them detailed information on what to expect from a shelter dog. Coming from a shelter a dog can be an anxiety-ridden experience and fostering these dogs allows them to express their personality as well as build confidence and trust with people. All of these combined lead to a better life and a better chance of finding a forever home for these pups. Lindsay says so much of the success of their rehabilitation of their animals comes from her star team which is composed of foster, rescue, medical, and transportation coordinators.
After a dog has become well-adapted to their foster family, they are ready to start the process of finding a permanent home. In order to ensure each dog finds the perfect loving family, they believe in starting with foster to adopt. Each foster-to-adopt trial can be as long or as short as the potential adopter would like, with the stipulation that both the new family and the dog are a good fit for each other. To start the process an application must be submitted and an at-home visit must be completed or photos of the home sent if a visit can not be conducted. The family and Rosie Rescue then converse about potential adoptees and make sure they have everything they need to complete a successful adoption. All of these steps allow Rosie Rescue to have complete confidence that each dog is placed with its perfect family that will allow them to thrive.
When asked about any memorable adoption stories, there was one that immediately came to mind for Lindsay. One of the first few dogs Rosie Rescue saved was Pansy, a heartworm-positive pup who, on the morning of her transportation to their rescue, had an emergency. Luckily, the amazing shelter staff saw the signs and immediately performed emergency surgery to remove a total of 37 worms. Lindsay and her team at Rosie Rescue offered to still pull Pansy from the shelter even with the possibility of more medical emergencies in the future. Pansy was eventually placed in the perfect home and is now living her best life with her most favorite people, completely heartworm-free.
Lindsay says that Rosie Rescue could not operate without the amazing and hardworking volunteers they have. She says she tells them almost on a daily basis the impact they have made from completing foster check-ins, medical notes, transportation, and more. One of her favorite volunteer moments involves a transportation driver and a new foster dog. Shortly after picking up the new dog from the shelter, the driver instantly recognized the connection they had with the pup and decided to adopt. According to Lindsay, for both the volunteer and the dog it was love at first sight.
In the future, Rosie Rescue hopes to continue saving as many dogs’ lives as possible as well as expanding their foster network. While Rosie Rescue continues to grow both their volunteer and foster community, the need for generous donors continues to increase. Currently, Rosie Rescue has over 40 dogs in their rescue with each dog needing food, preventatives, medical care and more. With continued support Rosie Rescue hopes to continue to rewrite the narrative of dogs in need, one chapter of hope at a time.
Find out more at rosierescue.org ■
