Founders Bio - Trisha Crowley

Originally from Buffalo, New York, Trisha has dedicated her life to animal welfare through a deeply personal journey of transformation, compassion, and purpose. As a teenager facing family struggles, depression, and substance use, she nearly dropped out of high school but fought to graduate and seek a better future. A lifelong animal lover who once dreamed of becoming a veterinarian, her path changed the day she visited the local SPCA in 1998—intending to adopt a kitten—and instead locked eyes with a frightened puppy named Titan. That moment sparked a life-changing commitment to animal rescue.

Inspired by Titan, Trisha began volunteering at shelters and interning at veterinary clinics while attending college. After initially pursuing veterinary school, she shifted her focus to nonprofit business management when she realized she could make a broader impact outside the constraints of for-profit care. She earned a degree in Accounting from the University at Buffalo and later completed her MBA at Niagara University.

In 2010, she became Vice President of a New York-based dog rescue focused on saving pit bull-type breeds and high-risk dogs from overcrowded southern shelters. Her work with Red Fern Animal Shelter in Dresden, Tennessee—a rural, outdoor facility with more than 200 animals—deepened her commitment and eventually led her to relocate to Tennessee in 2014. She made the move with five dogs and two rabbits in tow, determined to make a difference on the ground.

After confronting the reality of widespread overpopulation, lack of spay/neuter access, and cultural challenges around animal care in rural areas, she founded RARE (Rural Animal Rescue Effort) in May 2015. Based in Columbia, Tennessee, RARE was created to build a bridge between under-resourced communities and responsible pet guardians and reputable rescues in more urban areas.
 

Under her leadership, RARE has grown into a respected 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has saved 7,180 animals as of May 2025. The organization remains dedicated to tackling the root causes of animal homelessness through rescue, education, outreach, and spay/neuter initiatives.
 

Trisha continues to lead RARE with the same passion that began with a scared puppy in a shelter—and the belief that every animal deserves a chance, no matter where they come from.