The Road to RARE:
Behind the Mission
The journey to founding and sustaining a nonprofit like RARE has been anything but easy. Starting a 501(c)(3) organization requires significant paperwork, legal hurdles, and upfront costs just to become established—let alone the ongoing expenses and requirements needed to remain in good standing. It also means forming a board of directors, recruiting passionate volunteers, and building a trustworthy team who believes in your mission. I’m incredibly proud of the dedicated team we’ve built over the years—but the work is never done, and we are always in need of more hands, more hearts, and more support.
Our focus on rural areas—many of which are low-income and steeped in outdated mentalities—adds another layer of challenge. In these communities, animals are often viewed as property. Dogs and cats are left to roam, breed uncontrollably, suffer injuries, or end up in underfunded rural pounds that still practice inhumane methods of euthanasia. Despite years of outreach, education, and advocacy—including meetings with local mayors and sheriffs, sharing data, and pleading for change—many of these areas still lack spay/neuter laws and basic protections for animals. And even where minimal laws exist, enforcement is inconsistent at best.
But giving up has never been an option.
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We’ve learned that real change comes through collaboration—by working closely with other rescue groups, animal welfare advocates, and reform-minded organizations. Still, the emotional toll of this work is heavy. Compassion fatigue is real. It’s taken me years to accept that I must take care of myself in order to continue caring for others. The need is constant and overwhelming—like trying to empty the ocean with a spoon—and it’s easy to feel defeated. But I've learned to find moments to rest and reset, knowing the fight is long and ongoing.
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Rescue work isn’t just about saving animals. It means working with families in crisis, navigating cruelty and hoarding cases, collaborating with law enforcement and local governments, managing a team of staff and volunteers, providing daily care for animals, mentoring fosters, and making countless hours of veterinary runs and adoption transports. Behind the scenes, there’s an equally relentless administrative load: grant writing, processing applications, responding to calls and emails, and running our RARE FIX spay/neuter voucher program.
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We are inundated every day with requests to take in animals—and the truth is, donations rarely keep pace with demand. We’re constantly fighting to stretch limited resources. What we urgently need now is an adoption center with dedicated space for intake, vetting, and community outreach. But with rising costs for land and construction, we estimate needing at least $1.5 million to get started.
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Despite it all, we remain committed. Because every life matters. Because change doesn’t happen overnight. And because compassion, backed by action, is the only way forward.
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What Sets RARE Apart
With over 22 years of experience in animal welfare and hands-on work in veterinary clinics, I bring a deep and practical understanding of both animal care and nonprofit management. My background as a veterinary technician and animal handler allows me to perform a wide range of critical procedures in-house, including administering vaccines, subcutaneous fluids, heartworm tests, fecal exams, and other basic diagnostics. This skill set saves our organization thousands of dollars annually and ensures timely, high-quality care for every animal we rescue.
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Additionally, I have built strong relationships with veterinary clinics across the various regions we serve. These partnerships allow us to maximize our resources and secure affordable care—even if it means personally driving over an hour each way to reach the right clinic. Efficiency in veterinary spending means more lives saved.
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One of the aspects I’m most proud of is our personalized, responsible adoption process. Every RARE adoption includes a 30-day trial period to ensure the best possible fit between adopter and animal. During this time, I remain available to help with training and integration, offering a level of support that most organizations cannot provide. Furthermore, I conduct all adoption meet-and-greets at the adopter’s home. This ensures the safety and well-being of our animals, allows for proper introductions with existing pets, and helps us confirm that the home environment is suitable.
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We specialize in saving animals from under-resourced, high-risk rural environments, with an emphasis on long-term, sustainable placement—not just rescue. Matching the right animal with the right home is a responsibility we take very seriously.
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This work isn’t just a job or a passion project—it’s my entire life. Every decision is guided by the belief that animals deserve safety, respect, and a second chance, no matter where they come from. And through RARE, I’m proud to lead a team that’s making that vision a reality every single day.
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Although our rescue efforts primarily focus on rural communities—often more than an hour outside the city—our adopters and foster families are largely based in Nashville and the greater Nashville area. And for good reason: Nashville is a dog- and cat-loving city that embraces companion animals as part of the family. The city offers a wide range of pet-friendly places to eat, drink, and relax, making it easy for people to enjoy time with their dogs. Many apartment complexes and rental properties welcome pets, so it’s not surprising that most residents have at least one dog or cat.
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What I love most about Nashville is its heart. The community has a strong base of animal lovers, and there are countless opportunities to make a difference—whether through volunteering, fostering, or supporting local rescues. There are reputable and affordable trainers available to help with behavior issues, and low-cost clinics offering spay/neuter surgeries, vaccines, and microchipping services to promote responsible pet guardianship.
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Unfortunately, like every major city, Nashville still has its challenges. Far too many pets are not spayed or neutered, contributing to an out-of-control overpopulation crisis that is now worse than I’ve ever seen. Every day, thousands of animals are being surrendered to local shelters and rescues. It’s heartbreaking—and preventable.
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Nashville is a great city, but we can do better. We have the resources, the knowledge, and the community support to turn the tide. It starts with awareness, education, and compassion. And I believe, with continued collaboration and advocacy, real change is not only possible—it’s within reach.