“We create the safety net these dogs need so desperately.”

Barley the dog sitting on the couch with their owner

Furry Friends Foster and Rescue, Inc.

Gemma was found tied to a doorknob in an empty house. Her ears had been cut, her teeth filed down, and she had a tumor that had spread to her lymph nodes. As a senior pit bull with a tumor, Gemma had three strikes against her. But Furry Friends Foster and Rescue stepped up, arranging the medical attention she needed, then finding her a loving forever home.

Gemma’s story is just one of the hundreds of dogs rescued by Furry Friends. Since its founding in 2014, the Connecticut-based nonprofit has given hundreds of canines like Gemma a second chance. The group’s current president, Leslie Rich, explains that’s the organization’s mission: to help the dogs who need them the most.

“There are so many dogs in this world who, for lack of knowledge, money or humanity suffer unthinkable cruelty and harm,” she explains. “It’s emotionally taxing to care for these animals, but that toll is small compared to the joy that comes from watching them heal – both physically and emotionally – and learn to trust again.”

Every dog rescued by Furry Friends is assured top-notch medical care, and if needed, provided obedience training and behavioral assistance. They’re placed with volunteer foster families, where they receive the extra care they need to become happy, healthy dogs.

For Leslie and the volunteers who make Furry Friends possible, the rescue is truly a labor of love. “We’re all so very thankful that we are able to get up every morning and create the safety net that these dogs need so desperately,” she says. “We are rescuers; it’s in our hearts and souls.”

Learn more about Furry Friends Foster and Rescue
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