Buddha Pooch Dog Rescue Project, a Non-Profit Devoted to Connecting Dogs with Their Forever Homes

BY MARYANNE CHRISTIANO-MISTRETTA STAFF WRITER

AREA - Growing up in Sussex County, Keri Mack Karmozyn’s family had rescue dogs. But her true passion for dogs came when she met her husband and his two dogs, a Shepherd/Pitbull mix and a Lab. “They changed my life,” she said. Though an English major, Karmozyn spent most of her adult life in the restaurant busi- ness. It started with her working a summer job at her brother’s restaurant—and stayed onboard for the next 20 years working 13- to 14-hour days managing.

She later transferred to catering, thinking it would be easier, and according to Karmozyn it was harder, but she embraced every minute of it. “I worked for five-star chefs and loved it.”

By then she was in her late 30 and experienced burn-out. She longed for something she was more in tune with.

Karmozyn began her career with dogs by starting her own doggy day care in Bedminster, where she lives with her husband, John, and five rescue dogs. Her clients were local and came via word of mouth, Face- book, and Instagram.

January 2021, Karmozyn stopped doggie care and started her rescue service, naming it Buddha Pooch Dog Rescue Project. It’s a non-profit 501c3 devoted to saving abandoned and neglected dogs from local high-risk shelters and connecting them with their new home, giving them a second chance.

Karmozyn pulls dogs from shelters that are in desperate need. “Dogs that need surgeries, I always step in,” she said. “I tend to go to the dogs on the senior side. I rarely have a puppy in my rescue. I advocate for the dogs that need the voice—owner surrenders, people dumping their dogs. Everyone says it’s the Pitbull breed, but so many other breeds too. Unfortunately, owners pass away, and no family member wants to take care of the dog. I go in to pull one dog and I come out with four. Rescue is so hard. It hurts your heart every day. I literally cry all the time.”

Women who assist Karmozyn in running the rescue are K.J. Magers, founder of Bonnies Bark ‘n Board, Bedminster; Courtney Connors, founder of Beyond K9 Training, Far Hills; and Theresa Hart, who fosters any dog that needs help out of the shelter.

“They help me foster, train, and advocate for both the rescue dog and the adopter,” said Karmozyn. “Without them, I’d be lost. Support—emotional, financial, you name it—is everything in rescue!”

During the humble beginnings of the rescue, Karmozyn said she started so naively.

“There is no such thing as going to ‘rescue school’,” she said.

“You just want to give a dog a warm home and a place to lay their head. And that is not the case. These dogs were abused, neglected. They are fearful. The animals have been through such tragedy. They break down in shelters. They don’t eat. It’s very, very sad, the cycle of the dogs.”

Though the job is difficult,

Karmozyn finds her reward when a dog becomes alive again after being so broken. She shared, “They find the home. You get the update and see this dog that was emancipated and shaking, sitting on the couch with a big smile on his face. You can’t save them all, but just that little bit changes so many lives. It takes so many hearts to heal just one.”

For more information on Buddha Pooch Dog Rescue Project, and to view dogs that are up for adoption, please visit: http://www.buddhapoochdrp.com/