I have had at least one dog my entire life; as a child, teenager and young adult I loved animals, especially dogs, but my passion for dog rescue and reform began in 2005 when I took in my first foster dog, a Golden Retriever named "Copper." Providing Copper shelter from an unhappy home while looking for a permanent, loving home taught me that fostering is often the key to changing a dog's life and future.

My fondness, interest and education about Australian Shepherds while I worked part-time at Operation Kindness from 2007-2008. The experience and knowledge I gained was unmatched, and I developed my own style while trying to ensure the best outcome for each dog in the shelter. While I worked at OpK, I often saw dogs herding breeds "returned for no good reason." In almost every case the returnees were simply misunderstood or had adopters who did not research the breed. DASH aims to educate potential families about herding dogs and the commitment, knowledge and skills they require as family pets.

At DASH our adoption application is long and detailed, but I believe that if someone does not have 30 minutes to complete our application, then they are not my first choice to place a dog for up to 15 years. My goal is and always will be to find the best family for a dog while finding the best dog for a family.

March 21, 1990 - January 19, 2010

When his hockey career ended from a kidney injury in January 2009, Charlie wanted very much to commit his naturally passionate nature to something "different." Beside ice hockey and football, dogs were his favorite hobby, and thus the idea for North Dallas Dog Rescue now DASH was born.

Charlie was raised around dogs of all breeds his whole life. He loved Boxers and Huskies the most, and also had affection for dachshunds. Once he met his first Australian Shepherd he became a huge fan, as well as of border collies and all the herding breeds.

Charlie had an impact on everyone he met. He always had a smile on his face, a wise-crack to make and a sparkle in his eyes. He poured his heart and soul into DASH, being in charge of massive "packs" at a time, cleaning eternal messes and handling much of the training. For a 19-year-old this was quite a feat: 14-hour days, every day, from the day we opened the rescue in July 2009.

Charlie helped with the adoptions of 120 dogs and puppies in the 5 months DASH was operating in 2009. When we multiply that number by the families who have a new member to love, we cannot begin to count the lives he helped “save” when his own was close to the end.

A previously undiagnosed seizure-disorder took Charlie away too soon. However, all his family and friends and dogs are dedicated to continue rescuing dogs in his memory. If there is a heaven for dogs and people, then Charlie is surely there: playing "hard to the net" hockey and running with, snuggling with and taking care of ALL of our dogs of the past.

Volunteer

(Bio Coming Soon)