Jenn

Jenn is a Save A Dog volunteer who recently moved to Maine. She is a pet sitter as well as a terrific volunteer and a great dog mom to Orion, a rescued Chinese Crested and Tara, who is featured in the photo.

Quick Brag from Jenn:
Just a quick note to let you all know that my collie puppy, Tara got her RL1 (APDT Rally Level 1 title) this weekend! My wonderful seven month old was all perfect puppy and no bratty adolescent. In our first run Saturday I was really nervous, and Tara was really silly (but very happy!) and I was sure that we didn't Q. We got a 180 though (you have to get a 170/200 to qualify and there are also 10 bonus points available if you do the bonus exercises, which we did) and I was thrilled! (I didn't expect us to get any legs really, as we've only been practicing rally for a short time and only been to 3 rally classes). Our second run Saturday was awesome, we got a 203 and fifth place. Sunday was awesome also, we got a 201 and second place. So yeah little Tara this is just the beginning. : ) I'm so excited and so proud of her, she was so focused. Now Tara's name is Tamarack's Autumn Rain, RL1

Kim

I've been volunteering with Save A Dog now for a few months and I am so impressed with what a caring and well organized group this is! I've been active in rescue and transport now for over a year. After learning more about how many pets are euthanized in the US alone annually (an estimated 5-10 million!), I knew I had to do something to help. I started joining lots of yahoo groups for rescue and transport and working closely with shelters in the midwest to help them find rescues and assist them in getting their animals to those safehavens. My husband, Brendan, and I recently bought our first home in Framingham and after becoming more active in rescue, I decided I really wanted to work with a local group. That's when I found Save A Dog..they have a wonderful group of caring volunteers which I am now lucky to be a part of! They are a truly wonderful organization and I look forward to volunteering more of my time with them! We have two wonderful rescue dogs of our own, Snoopy (Left) and Sasha (Right), brother and sister who came from a kill shelter in Indiana. T hey are two of the most loving and appreciative pups and I would recommend to everyone that they open their home to a rescue dog! Volunteer! You can make a difference!

Val with Bella

Valerie

I came to Save A Dog several years ago and started fostering when I learned about the huge amount of homeless dogs and cats in rescues/shelters. Several months later, I was fortunate enough to adopt my first shih tzu, Muffin, from Save A Dog. Shirley introduced me to breed and Muffin did the rest. My “girls” add so much to our lives on a daily basis! Fostering was/is a wonderful experience. My son was a little scared of dogs/cats when we started, as he had no experience with them. I truly believe that fostering made such a difference in his life, learning to handle, and to love the animals we fostered…and our own, Muffin, and later we added our second rescued tzu, Bella. I usually pitch in wherever needed, and especially enjoy Paws in the Park and the annual Auction fundraisers, as well as all the wonderful people I meet and all the great little puppers who steal your hearts. It is so rewarding to see them placed in their forever homes, and know that you had some part in helping that happen. There is usually plenty to do to help out, and sometimes we work hard, but have A LOT of fun doing it, and with some pretty terrific people!

Allyson with Jasmin

I went to my first "adoption day" to meet Shirley and check out what the group was about. I spent over an hour just meeting the dogs and talking to people. That was almost 2 years ago. I started out my volunteering as a dog walker. Now I take part in as many adoption day events as I can and foster when I can. Although my two kitties Tom and Jerry don't love when I walk in the house with a new buddy, they get over it when they go to their forever home...it takes a few days and alot of sniffing (not to mention the surrender of their toys to the dogs!) but they still love me in the end.

Many people ask me "Isn't it hard to foster or to spend time with the dogs just to see them go?" and ironically it's almost more rewarding. To get that first email knowing that someone has made it through the night in their new home and has their own "spot" is great, not to mention you get to "save a dog".

Lisa & Tyler

Lisa L.

I came to Save A Dog after reading up on Paws in the Park's success last summer. I thought that Save A Dog sounded like a wonderful organization and I wanted to be a part of it. I haven't been able to have a dog in my apartment because the landlord doesn't allow it so I get my kicks by volunteering for Save A Dog when I have spare time.

Save A Dog is a loving group of people who all have great compassion for the dogs. There are so many animals that would have been euthanized if it weren't for these volunteers who have provided their homes, their time and their blood sweat and tears to help these pups out. I have been lucky to meet some of the terrific dogs that would not be with us today if it weren't for Save A Dog. I am proud to be a member of this great organization and hope that we continue to attract more amazing volunteers in the future.

So far I have been a part of the volunteer group who helped to put together the 1st annual Charity Auction. I helped fundraise and post information as well as working at the registration table at the event. I plan on being a part of the fundraising team for this year's Paws in the Park event in June. I also hope to get involved with adoption days in 2004.

The picture above, is one of me with my mom's dog Tyler. He is a mixed breed (possibly beagle and spaniel mix?) who is the light of my life. I go home as often as possible so that we can go to the beach and run together. Tyler hears the word "beach" and immediately runs for the door. He loves riding in the car with the windows down and going for long walks. He is a very young at heart 10 year old who has been raised in a home with a great "mom" and a nice yard to play in. He is the best.

I am an avid traveler who has lived in 4 states in the past 5 years. I have been living in the Boston area with my boyfriend John for about 2 /12 years and we are enjoying it. I am currenty the Human Resources Manager for a Contract Manufacturer of biopharmaceuticals in Marlborough, MA and helped to start up this company from the bottom beginning in December 2002. I enjoy the outdoors - skiing, hiking, riding my bike and I am looking forward to the spring weather so I can have a more active outdoor lifestyle! I have been involved with other volunteer opportunities since moving to Boston including Habitat for Humanity, Share Our Strength and Marlborough's Food Pantry.

Kaylee & Logan (Sheryl's kids)

Sheryl

I was laid off from my job in 2002 and to get over my depression, I decided to do volunteer work. Since I had worked with Dave and Shirley at one time, I decided on Save A Dog. It was the best decision I ever made.

After orientation, I jumped right in. There was dog walking, adoption days, transports to the vets and fostering. Shirley taught me how to temperment test dogs so Sheila and I have been to almost every shelter around rescuing some great dogs. The worse times are the -8 degree nights, long rainy rides and getting lost on the way home. But once you get those dogs into great homes, you forget all that and go back for more.

About a month after I started with Save A Dog, Shirley talked me into doing a Maryland transport with her and Sheila. I do remember asking Shirley if there were any big bridges on the way. She forgot to tell me about the one that spans the Hudson River! Panic attack!! Oh yeah and the 'new girl' got all the puppies in her truck for the 9 hour ride home. I didn't realize how bad the smell was until I got to MA and the volunteers unloading my truck almost passed out when they opened my doors.

I volunteer for all the fundraisers. I really look forward to Paws in the Park each year because of all the Save A Dog alumni that are there. It's so awesome to see these dogs that you rescued happy and healthy. To me, that's what it is all about.

I just finished redesigning the Save A Dog website. As I was going through all the dogs, I was remembering all their stories and personalities. Some make you laugh and others make you cry. There will always be those certain ones that will hold a piece of your heart forever.

I have since moved to Florida but I am still an avid volunteer for Save A Dog. I still maintain the website and I was able to foster the Rott'n Cuties. I plan on attending Paws In The Park in June 2006.

Mike, Dawn, Sabrina & Merlin

Dawn

My name is Dawn Giovannucci, I'm the Fundraising Director for Save a Dog! I live in Framingham with my husband Mike (who also volunteers and makes all the Save a Dog signs and banners), and our two babies (o.k. so they are dogs) Merlin and Sabrina - they are both Bichon Frise! I used to own a grooming salon and have since sold it to manage another one closer to my home!

I have always wanted to volunteer my time in some way and opening and owning my own grooming salon I guess it was obvious what my passion is - DOGS!

So I started to look for a group I wanted to offer my time to. My search started on the web! I would follow the websites and the dog's stories. The first thing I noticed that made Save a Dog stand out was how well they kept their website updated! I loved following the dog's going from the available dog section to the success pages! Then I realized just how many dogs were being saved and how much work they were doing so I took the plunge and sent in an application to volunteer and FOSTER! I figured at the very least I could clean the dogs up and make them look good before they were adopted!

I went to the volunteer orientation and was so impressed with the way things were run and how many dogs have been saved! I signed up to foster and took in my first foster dog. Then I signed up for Paws in the Park and was hooked! I have since become the Fundraiser Director, planning events such as Paws in the Park and our 1st Auction. I try to go to as many adoption events as possible, help with all the different events we have and have even gone on a long transport to Maryland with Shirley! That was fun, we ended up saving 26 dogs that trip and there's no better feeling then seeing each one of them go home to their new families!

This is a great group of dedicated people who LOVE animals!

Lisa, Bella & Gracie

Lisa B.

In June of 2002 while checking the news on boston.com, a flashing ad caught my attention. It said something like “take your dog for a walk in the park…” Because my husband and I had been discussing adding a dog to our family for quite some time, the ad grabbed my interest immediately! I clicked on it and found it was a promotion for PAWS in the Park, a fundraiser for Save A Dog coming up that weekend. One click led to another and, well, the rest is history…

My name is Lisa B. and that one “mouse click” changed my life. Having never had a dog of my own (not even as a kid) and never really being an “animal” person, I learned so much about the dog/puppy situation in the United States from the Save A Dog website. A couple of months later, my husband and I met “Cher” and we applied to adopt her. The whole experience was wonderful and when we brought “Cher” home, she became our “Gracie.”

After attending puppy kindergarten, almost a year of numerous other training classes, and reading dozens (really!) of books about dogs, I persuaded my husband to adopt a second dog. Almost a year after we brought Gracie home, “Tinkerbell” became available for adoption. A week later “Bella” was a member of our pack, and leader of our doggie pack! My “girls” make quite a pair – they are just about exactly the same size (30 pounds) and almost the same age (six months apart.) Their personalities, however, could not be more different! I am working on getting Gracie into a therapy-dog program and my plans for Bella include some agility training classes. I have to admit I am addicted to training classes! I hope to get them both CGC-certified over the next year.

After adopting Bella, I became very interested in volunteering for Save A Dog. After my volunteer orientation, I jumped right in and joined the 1st Annual Save A Dog Auction planning committee. The Auction was a huge success and I am proud to have been a part of it. I can’t wait until this year’s event! I also help out at adoption events and with the newsletter. Although I don’t actually foster or handle any dogs, there are so many other ways I do contribute. Every little job for Save A Dog makes a big difference in the life of a dog. There are an incredible number of tasks that need to be accomplished and there really is a job for everyone.

In between Save A Dog activities I am also very involved with my church, the teen-aged youth groups there (Oh yeah, I have a human child, too – a 13-year old son!) I am also into gardening and am an avid reader (once in a while something other than dog books!) Thanks Save A Dog for helping discover the “dog” person in me! And by the way, my eyes are always on the look-out for doggie number three…….