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After I graduated from college, I knew I was ready to adopt a dog. After a few months of searching, I finally ended up on Lucky Dog's website and decided to submit an application. Little did I know that decision three years ago would change my life, in more than just one way!
Growing up in Northern VA, my family always had a dog. But to be honest, animal rescue was never foremost in my mind. My parents taught me to love, respect and care for animals - to treat them like family - but the discussion of rescue was not one that was prevalent in our house. I fell into my passion for rescue quite by accident during college at James Madison University. JMU is in quite a rural area and I would see puppies in boxes and dog chained outside of homes and I just couldn’t understand how people could treat their pets like this.
Every life we save -- every dog and cat we are able to rescue -- is thanks to a Lucky Dog foster. In gratitude for everything our Lucky Dog fosters do on a daily basis to help us save lives, our team has compiled a list of tips and tricks from current Lucky Dog fosters that we hope helps our new fosters as they get started. We hope you find them helpful!
I was born and raised in El Salvador with 2 rabbits and a black lab named Oso (which means bear in English). I have always loved animals in general since I was a kid. I grew up begging to go to my grandfather's farm where I kept my own horse named Lucero. I enjoyed horseback riding there for many years until I moved to the United States. While we had dogs growing up, I always longed for a cat -- but my family never agreed.
Sam Mader -- Handler, Foster, Home Visit Volunteer and Data Entry Volunteer
Post Date:
Thursday, August 23, 2018
I have loved dogs since I was a very young. I begged my parents for a dog for years as a kid and they finally caved and we introduced Lucky into our lives. We had a wonderful 15 years with our little Lucki and she taught me so many lessons as I was growing up. I finished college and moved to DC on my own. I gave myself a few years to settle into my life, but in 2013, I knew I needed a dog to bring that extra bit of happiness into my life. That is when I discovered Lucky Dog.
Dogs have been a part of my life since the very beginning. My parents first brought me home to a motherly pitbull by the name of Halley who treated me as one of her puppies. Later, sixteen years of my life were spent with our nosey beagle, Rosie, until she passed away while I was in college.
I was the eldest child born into a family of 2 dogs. My family almost always had dogs, but I grew up primarily with the dog my parents still have, a sheltie named Truman. After graduating from high school, I moved down to DC for college, leaving Massachusetts, and leaving my family, Truman included.
I have been involved with animal rescue most of my life starting as a child. My mom ran the adoption program at a high kill southern shelter. It was very hard seeing so many beautiful creatures euthanized and my mom used to bring home the dogs on death row that were considered "unadoptable." Many were sick or injured and we would just add them to our menagerie or heal them and find homes for them outside the shelter system.
Megan Heath -- Founding Member, Lucky Dog Youth Program
Post Date:
Monday, April 30, 2018
How long have you been volunteering for Lucky Dog?
Our family has been fostering for Lucky Dog for about 5 years. After my first dog died, our family was looking for a new dog. We adopted our dog, Tank, from Lucky Dog and since we started fostering we have saved about 50 dogs.
Why do you volunteer for Lucky Dog's Youth Program?
I volunteer because I'm helping dogs every second 24/7. When one gets adopted I am sad, but I just remember that I helped save a dog's life.
