Ruff Start Rescue

Who We Are & How We Do It  

We are a small, but mighty, Non Profit 501c3 Rescue.  We are a No-Kill dog and cat rescue organization in Central Minnesota.  Our rescue is composed solely of volunteers who love animals.  We rescue stray, neglected, abandoned, and surrendered dogs and cats and work very hard to place them in new loving homes. 

This group is comprised ENTIRELY of volunteers who work full-time doing something that pays the mortgage.  We do the rescue stuff (which is our true passion) after work and on the weekends. So if your phone calls or emails are not answered by a live person right away, it’s probably because we are at work and will call you as soon as we can!    

By Choice

We do not have a shelter.  We are of the belief that a home environment is far more desirable than a shelter or kennel.  So, we rely exclusively on homes like yours in which to place our pets until they find their forever home!
 
We work exclusively with a foster-care program where our pet lives with you, and we pay for or provide everything. A home environment is always the most desirable and with the endless supply of animals needing homes, we just never have enough lined up. Sometimes the foster lasts a week, sometimes several months. A dog or cat will do far better adjusting when they are sitting by your chair or next to you while you are on the computer than stashed in a noisy kennel somewhere surrounded by sick and barking dogs.   

We Can't Take Every Surrendered Pet

Because we don’t have a shelter, we can only take a new animal IF we have a vacant foster home for the pet to live while we seek a new forever home for him.  OR, if you agree to hang onto the pet while we help them find a new home. Sadly, we are not able to assist every animal that crosses our path. There are just too many dogs & cats out there who need help. But, we DO have an extensive list of people looking for specific dogs and cats - so if you can hang onto your pet for a little longer, we might be able to assist you in placing them. No promises, but we promise to do our very best to help you find your pet their new forever home!

Our Mission Statement:

Ruff Start Rescue, is dedicated to saving all animals whose lives are at risk. Located in Princeton, MN; we are determined to educate the community about the importance of animal rescue and safety. We rescue animals from high kill facilities, rehabilitate the sick, love the unsocialized pets and maintain a 100% spay/neuter program. Ruff Start Rescue strives to end pet overpopulation and safely place all animals in loving homes. 
What Started Ruff Start Rescue? HOPE!

Hope was brought to RSR in January 2010.  She was sick with heartworm in a shelter in Ohio.  She was almost out of time when Azure (the President of RSR) decided she could make a difference and went out on a limb and told the shelter she would take Hope to become part of a newly developing resue.  Azure contacted www.pilotsnpaws.org and arranged ground trasnportation from Ohio to Illinois.  Then a volunteer pilot and his wife flew Hope and 1 other rescue dog right into the Princeton, MN airport from Illinois.  Hope arrived as a sick dog with good spirits.  She was placed into a wonderful foster home that gave her the love and attention she needed and deserved.  The fosters fell in love with Hope and decided to adopt her.  Hope's story encouraged Azure to keep saving dogs all over the country.  Below are some pictures of Hope from when she first became a part of Ruff Start Rescue and pictures of her this summer at her forever home.  Thanks to all the wonderful volunteers and fosters that make this rescue possible.  

HopeSad

(Hope in December 2009 right before she was flown into Minnesota to find her forever home)

Hope Landing

(The landing in Princeton, MN - January 2010)

 HopeSad2

 (Hope when she first arrived in Minnesota - January 2010)

Hope1

(Hope at her forever home - June 2010)

Hope2

 (Hope at her forever home - June 2010)