The first to find a home was a dachshund from a high-kill shelter in Harlem, but the group of Bergen, Rockland and Tolland County women who placed him have much more in store for animals in need.
Real Dog Rescue was founded last December by five friends who met through their work at Oakland's RBARI and left to take things in a different direction:
- Robyn Hendrix of Hackensack formerly Teaneck, N.J.
- Meredith Walsh of Midland Park, N.J.
- Lisa Esak of Oakland, N.J.
- Carol Chapman of Tomkins Cove, N.Y.
- Elizabeth Ingalls, Somers, Conn.
"Our mission is to take in every dog that we can, regardless of their age, breed, medical condition or where they come from," Chapman told Daily Voice. "That was one of the things we wanted to do differently."
Things really started shaking last month for the foster-based rescue, which helped place almost 20 dogs already.
Real Dog Rescue puts an emphasis on finding the perfect fit.
"We want to match families and dogs," she said. "In the rescue world we’ve seen a lot of really strict rescue practices and heard people say that makes it difficult to adopt. We want to make it easier, and we'll make the effort."