BOGO Spotlight: Fetch a Friend Rescue - Seneca Falls NY

As a part of our commitment to giving back to rescue groups, we select two organizations every month to be the recipient of our Buy One Give One (BOGO) program. Our BOGO program is based on online sales from two of our leash and collar collections (I Am A Rescue or Support The Underdog). For every collar/leash purchased from these collections, one is donated to a rescue group.

We are thrilled to announce that Fetch a Friend Rescue is our BOGO recipient from May 1st - 15th. Fetch A Friend Rescue was started April 2015. Owner Jamie Hughes has been in love with dogs since she received her first one 25 years ago at age 6. In 2005 Jamie started volunteering at the local animal shelter and began to spend every day of the week there working with the dogs and running their website.

In 2011, she and a friend saw the need for more facilities for dogs in need of homes and they began 2^nd Chance Dog Rescue. From March 2011-December 2014 they rescued and placed over 750 dogs in their forever homes. Rescue and caring for dogs are Jamie's passion and she can't imagine not being able to work with them on a daily basis. With the support of her family and friends Jamie has chosen to pursue her dream on her own and open a new boarding facility in Seneca Falls, NY.

Opening Fall 2015, Phoebe's K9 Resort will offer dog and cat boarding, doggy daycare, and grooming. It will also be home to Fetch A Friend Rescue. Jamie is grateful to her family, friends, and supporters who have been there throughout the whole process.

We asked volunteer Kate Richardson some questions to get us better acquainted with Fetch a Friend:

What is involved in keeping a shelter-based rescue going? (How many adoptable dogs are in your program? Where do your dogs come from?)

There are so many components that keep our rescue going. We rely heavily on our community and supporters for donations of food/treats/collars. We are completely volunteer based, so we are thankful for our volunteers that take time out of their busy lives to take care of our rescue dogs. ( I personally volunteer full-time, and am there with the dogs almost everyday!) We pull dogs from both local animal services and southern shelters. They keep us full to our max most of the time. Our rescue has 11 kennels, so we can only care for 11 dogs at a time.

What are some of the things your group is known for?

We are known for taking "less desirable" dogs from local animal services. This can mean a variety of things: dogs that are emaciated and need to gain weight before adoption, dog reactive/aggressive dogs, heartworm positive dogs, and fearful dogs. We have no issue taking the time to rehabilitate the dogs before they are adopted out. Our mindset is always to find the BEST home for the dog, not sending them to the FIRST home thats available. We take the time to get to know all our dogs so that we can be sure they are placed in the best possible home.

Describe some of the more challenging moments in rescue and how you/the other volunteers got through it. Some of the most challenging moments in rescue are working with fearful dogs that have been abused/neglected in the past. We work with them slowly, at their pace to gain their trust and love. I have spent hours in our "visit room" using treats to get some of our most fearful dogs just to come close enough to touch. It's heart-breaking to see so much fear in their eyes, but so rewarding to watch them come out of their shell.

What is the most rewarding part about volunteering? What would you say to others who are considering volunteering for a group like yours?

The most rewarding part of volunteering is seeing these dogs come out of their shell. Most dogs are pretty scared and withdrawn when they enter rescue. It is amazing to watch them change, and learn to trust us. We get to see them transform both physically and emotionally, and its worth every minute of volunteer time with them.

Let us know anything else you'd like to share with us.

We are a small, non breed-specific rescue. We work to help these dogs with social skills and obedience training before they find their forever homes.