100 Days. 100 Stories. One Very Big Dream.
Sometimes the dog doesn't need to change. Sometimes the environment does.

Summer had already been through more change than any dog should.

She came to Always & Furever.

She was adopted.

Returned.

Adopted again.

Returned again.

She had lived with multiple dogs.

She reportedly struggled with separation anxiety.

She didn't love every dog she met.

And back at the rescue, she was losing weight and seemed sad.

On paper, Summer came with questions.

Then Dawn and her husband came looking for a foster.

They met another dog first.

Young.

Cuddly.

Immediately interested in them.

Then they met Summer.

Summer was... different.

She was aloof.

She went for a walk with them.

She was nice.

But she wasn't trying to win them over.

There was no magical movie-scene moment.

No instant connection.

Dawn admits that if they had simply chosen the dog they felt most drawn to right away, Summer probably wouldn't have been the one.

Instead, they asked a different question:

Who needs us most?

They went home.

They talked about it.

They prayed about it.

And they decided to give Summer a chance.

Preparing for what they had been told to expect, they brought home a huge kennel.

Because Dawn works from home, she carefully helped Summer adjust to being alone in short increments.

And then something interesting happened.

The dog they had prepared themselves to manage simply... settled in.

There was one moment when Dawn saw Summer become distressed on a camera.

Beyond that?

The severe separation anxiety they expected never really appeared.

Summer found her place.

And Dawn and her husband discovered something they hadn't expected either.

"We didn't know we needed her. We thought she needed us."

Summer became their girl.

When the possibility arose for someone else to adopt her, Dawn realized she couldn't bear the thought of Summer having to start over again.

By then, Dawn and her husband were at least Summer's fourth home.

But she didn't need another home.

She was already home.

So Summer stayed.

Today, Dawn describes her as:

Calm.
Regal.
Strong.
Steady.

She patrols the neighborhood.

She loves stretching out in the sunshine.

And perhaps most beautifully of all, she helps foster dogs find their footing.

New dogs watch her.

Learn from her.

Follow her lead.

She offers corrections when needed without looking for conflict.

She shows nervous dogs how to relax in a home.

She helps newcomers understand they're safe.

The dog who once looked complicated on paper became the dog teaching other dogs how to belong.

And maybe Summer didn't change all that much.

Maybe her environment did.

That is such an important part of Rescue Reimagined.

Not every dog thrives in the same setting.

Not every dog needs the same things.

And a behavior seen in one environment doesn't necessarily tell us who that dog will be everywhere else.

Our job is to keep asking:

What does this individual soul need to find peace?

That question is at the heart of our dream for Homestead East.

More rooms.

More Lighthouses.

More places where dogs can decompress instead of being expected to fit into one version of rescue.

A veterinary center that brings care closer.

More opportunities to look at the dog in front of us and create an environment that works for them.

Because somewhere out there is another Summer.

A dog who might not look perfect on paper.

A dog who may not immediately crawl into your lap.

A dog who has been returned.

Misunderstood.

Overlooked.

Or simply hasn't found the place where everything clicks yet.

We want to keep giving those dogs chances.

We want to give them enough time.

Enough patience.

And enough peace to discover where they belong.

And sometimes, if we're really lucky, we discover that the dog we thought needed us was exactly the dog we needed all along.

That is Rescue Reimagined.

Our dream is to create more space for dogs like Summer to find their version of peace.

5,600 Dream Builders.
$250 each.
$1.4 million.

Donate if you can.

Foster if you're able.

Volunteer.

Share a story.

Tell someone about the dream.

Because the next Summer is out there.

And she deserves the chance to find home. ❤️

100 Days. 100 Stories. 100 reminders of why we believe Rescue Reimagined is possible. 🐾

100 Days. 100 Stories. One Very Big Dream.
Sometimes one little dog changes the entire direction of your life.

In November 2018, Judy had no plans to foster a dog.

She came to Always & Furever to volunteer.

Clean up poop.

Wash dog dishes.

Spend time loving dogs.

That was the plan.

But as so many of us have learned...

Plans have a funny way of changing around here.

One of our early transports arrived, and Jen asked Judy and her daughter if they could temporarily foster a senior dog.

All they had seen was a photo of what Judy describes as a "very dirty, dreadlocked moth" sitting inside a crate.

They couldn't see his face.

They couldn't see his nose.

They really had no idea what kind of dog was hiding underneath all that hair.

Underneath was Murphy.

A tiny, rickety senior miniature schnauzer who wasted no time showing them exactly who he was.

By the very next day, Murphy was dancing around the kitchen with three little boys dressed in Spider-Man suits.

He loved kids.

He loved his new people.

And his "temporary" foster home was already starting to feel a whole lot like home.

A few days later, Judy got a call.

Someone might be interested in adopting Murphy.

Her family panicked.

"Mom, do something. We have to keep Murphy."

So Judy called Jen, unsure what the adoption process even looked like in those early days of Always & Furever, and told her they wanted Murphy to stay.

Jen's response?

"It will be so."

And it was.

Murphy spent his remaining years deeply loved by Judy's family.

But his story didn't end there.

Because Murphy wasn't the destination.

Murphy was the beginning.

Since that day, Judy and her daughters have adopted seven Always & Furever dogs.

And Judy has fostered 27.

Many of them seniors who spent the rest of their long, happy lives surrounded by love.

And then there's Glinda.

Judy's newest adoptee.

A 14-year-old little lady who arrived at A&F with a mysterious brain injury.

Her very first night with us, she was rushed to the emergency hospital.

Since then, she has undergone MRIs, CT scans, and extensive veterinary care as we worked to understand what was happening.

She still struggles with balance.

She might be walking along and suddenly do a barrel roll.

But she also loves her sniffy walks.

She has earned the nickname "Glinda Sue" from Judy's husband.

And she is living a wonderfully loved life exactly as she is.

Because that has been part of the A&F promise from the beginning:

We go for it.

We care for these animals as though they are our own.

We fight for the medical care they need.

We give them time.

We give them peace.

And whenever possible, we give them a home.

For years, that has meant an incredible network of veterinary partners and volunteers driving dogs all over the metro for care.

Judy alone estimates she has driven roughly 240,000 local miles helping transport animals to veterinary appointments.

Think about that.

Hundreds of thousands of miles.

One person.

Countless animals.

Countless chances.

And now the dream is growing.

Our veterinary team and the St. Francis Medical RV were huge steps forward.

Homestead East is the next one.

A place where we can expand this work with a brick-and-mortar veterinary center.

More tiny homes.

More peaceful spaces.

More opportunities for dogs to decompress when a foster home like Judy's isn't available.

Because that's what our $1.4 million dream is really about.

More Murphys.

More Glindas.

More second chances.

More people who walk through our doors thinking they're just volunteering for a little while...

And discover a community that changes their lives, too.

Judy says one of the greatest gifts from all these years hasn't only been the animals.

It's been the people.

The friendships.

The community.

The people she never would have met otherwise.

People like Amy.

Friends who became family.

What started as a couple of days a week hanging out with dogs became, in Judy's words,

"A lifetime experience."

And it all started with one dirty, dreadlocked little senior dog named Murphy.

One foster.

One yes.

One life that changed so many others.

This is Rescue Reimagined.

This is the dream.

And somewhere out there, there are still so many Murphys waiting for someone to say yes. ❤️

100 Days. 100 Stories. 100 reminders of why we believe Rescue Reimagined is possible. 🐾

100 Days. 100 Stories. — PUPPIES EDITION 🐾

We already introduced you to Gemma.

Now it's time to meet her Fantastic Beasts litter.

All ELEVEN of them.

💙 Ten little boys
💗 One little girl

Eleven brand-new lives who entered the world yesterday after Gemma required an emergency C-section when it became clear she wasn't going to be able to deliver them on her own.

And just look at them.

Eleven tiny reasons why we keep dreaming about what rescue can be.

Not long ago, Gemma was a young pregnant dog sitting on a euthanasia list.

Yesterday, she became a mama.

Safe.

Loved.

Protected.

And proving to be the sweetest mom to eleven beautiful babies.

Right beside her through it all is her incredible foster, Sara.

For the next several weeks, Sara's world will revolve around this little family.

Feedings.

Cleaning.

Daily weigh-ins.

Making sure every puppy is nursing and growing.

Bottle supplements if eleven hungry mouths become more than Gemma can manage on her own.

And probably...

A whole lot of lost sleep.

This is Rescue Reimagined.

It's saying yes to the mama someone else was ready to give up on.

And in doing so, saying yes to every tiny life she was carrying.

Because when you save Gemma...

You save her babies, too.

And the best part?

Gemma's story doesn't end here.

She has now been spayed, which means once her puppies are weaned and begin searching for their furever homes...

Gemma gets a new beginning, too.

She gets to be young.

She gets to play.

She gets to nap on the couch.

She gets to be someone's baby instead of taking care of eleven of her own.

And these eleven puppies?

They get to grow up knowing nothing but:

❤️ Full bellies
❤️ Warm beds
❤️ Gentle hands
❤️ Safety
❤️ Love

Twelve lives saved at once.

Yesterday, eleven tiny lives entered the world.

Today, the Fantastic Beasts litter is our 100 Days. 100 Stories. story.

And don't worry...

You're going to get to watch these babies grow right alongside us.

🎥 Sara will be LIVE every evening at 7:30 PM following our 100 Days story, sharing puppy updates and behind-the-scenes moments from the nursery.

Watch them grow.

Meet their personalities.

Pick your favorites.

Celebrate every tiny milestone.

Because someday soon, eleven little puppies will be ready to begin stories of their own.

And it all started because someone said:

"Yes. Their lives are worth saving."

100 Days. 100 Stories. 100 reminders of why we believe Rescue Reimagined is possible. ❤️

The Potato Shark Who Almost Didn't Get His Chance

Mike was going to die for two reasons that should never determine whether a life is worth saving:

He was a senior.

And he needed medical care.

Mike was sitting in a kill shelter when he was placed on the euthanasia list for medical reasons.

And somehow, an already heartbreaking story became even harder.

Someone recognized him.

His family was tagged.

They knew where he was.

But no one came for him.

We could spend a lot of time sitting in that part of Mike's story.

Wondering what happened.

Wondering how this sweet, ridiculous little potato of a dog ended up there.

But that's not where we want his story to live.

Because we saw him.

And a few weeks ago, Mike came to Always & Furever.

Since then, he has filled the Little Red Barn with exactly what we believe rescue should be filled with:

Love.

Laughter.

Joy.

He's also earned himself a very fitting nickname:

The Potato Shark. 🦈🥔

Because Mike may look like a sleepy little potato most of the time...

But get within nibbling distance, and the shark comes out.

Thumbs.

Shoulders.

And even the occasional unsuspecting backside.

Apparently, they're all fair game.

And soon, someone is traveling more than 1,000 miles just for him.

On October 9, Mike's adopter will fly in from Connecticut, rent a car, and drive him all the way home.

She knows he still has medical hurdles ahead.

We believe Mike may need heart surgery, and there are more appointments and testing still to come.

She's still all in.

That's the magic of this community.

Someone can live halfway across the country and somehow find one little senior dog in Kansas and know immediately:

"That one. I choose that one."

And when Mike leaves, something else beautiful happens.

His space opens.

Another dog gets a chance.

Another soul sitting in a shelter gets seen.

Another story gets to begin.

That's why fostering matters.

That's why adoption matters.

And it's why creating more space matters so much.

Because there are countless Mikes sitting in shelters right now.

Beautiful.

Funny.

Quirky.

Perfectly imperfect souls we may never get the chance to know simply because there isn't enough space, enough medical care, or enough resources.

That is what our dream is trying to change.

We dream of shelters that feel different.

Places filled with love and joy.

Places where peace matters just as much as survival.

Places you can walk into and somehow leave with your heart fuller than when you arrived.

More than 9,000 lives have already been touched by this little rescue that began with a tiny red barn.

Think about that.

Thousands of individual stories.

Thousands of second chances.

And all from a farm limited to just 19 animals at a time.

Now imagine what becomes possible when we have more room to say yes.

When we have our own donor-funded veterinary center.

When we have more peaceful spaces for animals who need time.

When Homestead East gives us the ability to reach even more souls who otherwise might never get their chance.

That is why we're dreaming bigger.

Every donation.

Every share.

Every foster home.

Every adoption.

Every prayer.

Every person who tells someone else that rescue can look different.

All of it helps build this dream.

Because without this Little Red Barn, there would be no Potato Shark.

And the world is a whole lot better with Mike in it.

Every soul has a story. Every life is worth the chance to have one.

5,600 Dream Builders.
$250 each.
$1.4 million.

Together, we're building a future where more animals get the same thing Mike got:

A chance. ❤️

100 Days. 100 Stories. 100 reminders of why we believe Rescue Reimagined is possible. 🐾

100 Days. 100 Stories. One Very Big Dream.

Some animals become part of your story because you saved them.

Others change the way you save every animal who comes after them.

Mayme was one of those souls.

Seven years ago, Mayme was sitting in a high-kill shelter in St. Louis.

She had been placed in a room reserved for dogs labeled "unadoptable" because of medical concerns, behavior concerns, or simply because no one knew enough about them.

For two weeks, she sat there.

No walks.

No sunshine.

No real assessment.

And her time was running out.

All we knew was that she was an older pit bull.

She was sick.

And someone who had seen her before she disappeared behind that door believed there was something in her worth saving.

So we said yes.

Before Jen had even met her, she gave her a name.

Mayme.

It was the name of Jen's grandmother's dog, who became Jen's dog after her grandmother passed away and one of the first great loves of her life.

When Mayme arrived, we quickly learned just how frightened she was.

She lunged.

She snarled.

She tried to bite if someone reached toward her.

It would have been easy to call her aggressive.

It would have been easy to decide the shelter had been right.

But underneath all of it was fear.

We don't know what happened to Mayme before she came to us.

We only know that somewhere along the way, she learned a hand reaching toward her might mean pain instead of love.

So rather than asking her to immediately become a different dog, we gave her something else:

Space.

Time.

Quiet.

Patience.

Consistent kindness.

And little by little...

Mayme began to trust.

Eventually, Jen decided to see how she might do around the calm, confident dogs at the Little Red Barn.

Within seconds, something changed.

Surrounded by dogs who already knew they were safe and loved, Mayme seemed to realize that maybe...

she was safe, too.

The dog who once couldn't tolerate a hand reaching toward her became the life of the party.

She greeted volunteers.

Put her head in laps.

Rolled over for belly rubs.

Demanded dog massages.

Jen described it as watching a flower blossom.

Mayme shattered so many labels for us.

She taught us that what we see in one frightening moment doesn't necessarily tell us who an animal truly is.

She taught us about decompression.

About patience.

About earning trust instead of demanding it.

About creating an environment where an animal doesn't have to spend every moment simply trying to survive.

Those lessons helped shape who Always & Furever became.

Mayme wasn't with us nearly long enough.

But one of the extraordinary things about rescue is that a soul doesn't have to spend ten years beside you to change you forever.

Sometimes a short time is enough to completely alter the direction of your life.

Mayme did that for us.

And in many ways, our dream today still carries pieces of her.

We dream of Lighthouses where dogs like Mayme can arrive without immediately being asked to prove who they are.

Instead of a walk down a hallway toward the end...

Imagine a car ride to a quiet space.

Soft music.

A warm bed.

Fresh water.

Time.

Love.

Peace.

Because Mayme helped teach us something we still believe with everything we have:

Peace is just as important as survival.

And that is what this $1.4 million dream is really about.

Yes, we're building spaces.

But what we're really creating is the opportunity to say yes to more souls before the rest of the world has already decided who they are.

How much is one life worth?

For Moose, the final price tag was nearly $30,000.

But his story didn't begin with a $30,000 decision.

It began with a stray dog who had been dumped on the side of the road.

He was emaciated.

Starving.

Nothing more than skin and bones.

And underneath all of that was a joyful, bouncing, kiss-giving three-year-old boxer mix who absolutely loved life.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Moose had a seizure.

One seizure became more.

Emergency visits followed.

Then specialists.

A CT scan.

An MRI.

And with every step came another difficult question:

Do we spend $3,000 to learn more?
Do we spend another $5,000?
Do we keep going?

Someone once asked Jen how we could justify spending that much money on one animal when those same dollars could help so many others.

The answer is at the very heart of who we are.

When a soul comes into our care, we have a responsibility to try.

Not because we know the ending will be good.

Not because we have unlimited resources.

And not because every medical intervention is always the right choice.

We try because his life mattered.

Moose's MRI finally gave us an answer.

There was a mass pressing against his brain.

It was affecting his vision.

Causing his seizures.

Changing his behavior.

This happy dog who once loved playing with children suddenly couldn't understand the world around him.

Without answers, it would have been easy to look only at the behavior and assume Moose had changed.

He hadn't.

He was sick.

And there was something we could do about it.

By then, Moose's story had become much bigger than one little rescue in Kansas.

Specialists at BluePearl were consulting with doctors at Iowa State, K-State, and Mizzou about his unusual case.

And surrounding all of them was another army.

The people following Moose's journey.

Donating.

Sharing his story.

Praying for him.

Believing in him.

Together, you funded the scans.

Together, you funded the emergency care.

And somehow...

Together, you funded brain surgery for a stray dog someone else had thrown away.

And the surgery worked.

Moose returned to foster care.

He healed.

And he became Moose again.

The wild, joyful, wonderfully energetic dog he had always been before something inside his body changed.

Then Miracle Moose got the ending everyone had fought so hard to give him.

A family.

A big, busy, beautiful family filled with kids, dogs, laughter, and all the activity a dog like Moose could ever want.

He is loved.

He is happy.

He is exactly where he belongs.

So what did $30,000 buy?

It bought Moose his tomorrow.

And his story is one of the reasons our dream for Homestead East includes the St. Francis Veterinary Center.

Every day, families, shelters, and rescues face impossible medical decisions.

Not because an animal can't be helped.

But because getting the diagnostics and care needed to find the answer simply costs too much.

We dream of changing that.

The work to make Homestead East a reality continues.

Right now, our contractor and architect are navigating the permitting process with Kansas City, working through requirements, costs, and alternatives so we can keep moving forward.

The process isn't always fast.

But the dream hasn't changed.

A veterinary center.

Lighthouses built for peace.

A No Kill. No Kennel. future.

A place where we keep asking:
"What if there is another way?"

Moose is living proof of what can happen when an entire army refuses to stop asking that question.

A starving stray became Miracle Moose because thousands of people believed one discarded dog's life was worth fighting for.

They believed he deserved another chance.

Another day.

Another tomorrow.

And they were right.

100 days. 100 stories. 100 reminders of why we believe Rescue Reimagined is possible. ❤️

Because sometimes saving one life changes far more than that one life. It reminds all of us what becomes possible when we refuse to give up. 🐾

100 Days. 100 Stories. One Very Big Dream.

Copper's story isn't about finding a traditional home.

It's about realizing that sometimes...

Home needs to look different.

Copper came to us years ago as a puppy from Oklahoma with a badly broken leg.

After unsuccessful treatment and surgery, he eventually needed the leg rebroken, repositioned, and repaired with plates and screws. As he's gotten older, that leg has continued to require care, and this year he needed surgery on a back leg as well.

But Copper's needs have never been only physical.

Over the years, we've learned who Copper is.

He loves deeply.

He has people he absolutely adores.

He has had dog friends.

He loves playing ball.

He loves wrestling with the people he trusts.

He loves attention.

But Copper also has boundaries.

And eventually, we realized the kindest thing we could do wasn't to keep asking Copper to fit into a life that might not be right for him.

It was to build a life that was right for Copper.

Today, Copper has his own tiny home.

His own beds.

His own routine.

People who know him.

People who understand him.

Space to play.

Trails to explore.

Enrichment.

Friends.

And so much love.

He is safe here.

And maybe most importantly...

He is allowed to be Copper.

We don't need him to become a different dog to deserve a beautiful life.

That is what sanctuary means to us.

Copper may never live in a traditional home.

But he has a home.

He has people who wake him up with love every morning and tuck him in with love every night.

He even gets the occasional sleepover in his tiny home with someone he loves.

This is part of our dream for Homestead East.

We want to create more spaces where dogs like Copper can simply exist in peace.

Where the answer for an animal who doesn't fit neatly into a traditional shelter or home environment isn't to force them to change...

But to ask what we can change for them.

More Lighthouses.

More individualized spaces.

More room to breathe.

More opportunities to give animals the life that works for them.

We're raising $1.4 million to build that dream.

Because Rescue Reimagined means recognizing that survival is only the beginning.

Peace matters, too.

For some animals, the happy ending isn't adoption.

It's understanding who they are.

Meeting them where they are.

And giving them the life they need to thrive.

Copper reminds us that every animal deserves that chance.

And Copper deserves every bit of it. ❤️

100 days. 100 stories. 100 reminders of why we believe Rescue Reimagined is possible.

Because sometimes the most compassionate thing we can do isn't change the animal.

It's change the environment around them. 🐾

100 Days. 100 Stories. One Very Big Dream.

Day 24: Ranger Boone's Story
As told by his foster, Dawn.

Before Ranger was the cuddly, playful dog living in my home, he was a dog in a kill shelter who couldn't walk properly because of serious problems with his back legs.

He needed medical care.

He needed surgery.

He needed time.

And he needed someone to say yes.

Always & Furever did.

Ranger received the surgeries he needed, months of recovery, and the time and safety required to heal.

Today, he runs.

He plays.

He loves other dogs.

He curls up on the couch.

And he's still waiting for the family who will help write the next chapter of his story.

But rescue stories aren't always a straight line.

Recently, Ranger went through a frightening accident while playing with Summer. No one intended for anything bad to happen, but it scared him deeply. Afterward, I could see it affected how safe he felt with me.

And that has been another lesson in fostering.

Sometimes healing is physical.
Sometimes it's emotional.

Sometimes the best thing you can do for a dog is provide medical care.

And sometimes the best thing you can do is offer space, patience, and time to trust again.

That's what I'm learning with Ranger right now.

I'm not forcing affection.

I'm not asking him to heal on my timeline.

I'm letting him tell me what he needs and giving him room to rebuild confidence at his own pace.

And that's exactly why this dream matters.

The St. Francis Homestead Hospital is not just another building.

It means greater access to veterinary care for dogs like Ranger.

It means the ability to treat more medical cases, help more animals heal, and say yes to more dogs who might otherwise never get that chance.

But Rescue Reimagined is bigger than medicine alone.

It's about recognizing that animals need different things at different stages of their journey.

Some need surgery.

Some need months of recovery.

Some need a quieter environment.

Some need a foster home.

Some need confidence.

Some need space.

Some need all of those things.

And sometimes, like Ranger, they need us to understand that being "saved" is not the end of the story.

My dream is that there are more Rangers.

More dogs pulled from places where their future is uncertain.

More animals receiving the medical care they desperately need.

More dogs given the time and space to heal physically and emotionally.

More dogs getting the chance to show us who they truly are.

And this is where all of us come in.

The goal is 5,600 Dream Builders giving $250 each, together creating the $1.4 million needed to help make this vision possible.

Not one person doing everything.

5,600 people each doing one piece.

That's what Rescue Reimagined can make possible.

Someday, when the St. Francis Homestead Hospital is treating animals and the Lighthouses are providing peaceful places to recover, rest, and wait for their families, I hope we can look around and know we helped create more second chances.

More healing.

More hope.

More futures.

You don't have to change the whole world.

You can change one small piece of it.

And for one dog like Ranger, that small piece can mean everything. ❤️

100 days. 100 stories. 100 reminders of why we believe Rescue Reimagined is possible.

100 Days. 100 Stories. One Very Big Dream.

Sara and Gemma are officially on puppy watch. 🐾

If you had told Sara years ago that one day she would be building whelping boxes and preparing for sleepless nights with newborn puppies, she probably wouldn't have believed you.

Sara's fostering journey began with the oldies.

The hospice dogs.

The ones who needed a soft place to land and someone willing to love them for however much time they had left.

But in 2021, after losing several dogs in a short period of time, Sara's heart needed a break from so much goodbye.

So she started taking in younger dogs and medical fosters instead.

Then came Tonks.

Sara foster-failed her.

Suddenly there was a young hooligan in the house.

Then she fostered Rooster, another young dog whose energy matched Tonks perfectly.

Rooster didn't leave either.

And just like that, Sara realized her home wasn't exactly the peaceful retirement community it once had been.

Her "hooligans," as she lovingly calls them, would run the oldies right over.

So Sara found another way to help.

She became a safe haven for mamas and babies.

Today, that mama is Gemma.

Very pregnant and very loved.

Sara built Gemma a whelping box filled with everything she and her puppies will need to be safe, comfortable, and cared for.

When those puppies arrive, Sara will be there through it all:

The feedings.

The cleaning.

The worrying.

The sleepless nights.

And all the work that comes with helping a litter enter the world safely.

It isn't easy.

It isn't something everyone can do.

But when there's a mama who needs somewhere to go and no one else steps up, Sara says yes.

Because what is the alternative?

Gemma should never be at risk of losing her life simply because she found herself pregnant and homeless in a shelter without enough space or resources.

This is part of our dream, too.

We're raising $1.4 million to build the next chapter of rescue at Homestead East, including a donor-funded veterinary clinic and the Lighthouses for animals who need something different.

Imagine a quiet Lighthouse where a mama dog can rest before giving birth.

Imagine veterinary care available right there when she or one of her tiny puppies needs it.

Imagine a space designed not just to keep them alive, but to give them peace.

Because Rescue Reimagined means recognizing that peace is just as important as survival.

It means building something better when what exists isn't good enough.

And it means making sure the Saras of the world don't have to carry all of it alone.

For now, Gemma is safe.

Her whelping box is ready.

Sara is ready.

And we're all officially on puppy watch. ❤️

100 days. 100 stories. 100 reminders of why we believe Rescue Reimagined is possible.

Because every mama deserves a safe place to raise her babies. 🐶💕

100 Days. 100 Stories. One Very Big Dream.

Maddox came to us in 2024 from the Wichita Animal Shelter.

He was only about two years old and severely emaciated, weighing around 45 pounds when a healthy weight for him would eventually be closer to 80 or 90. He was skin and bones, with wounds on his elbows, knees, and tailbone.

The shelter didn't have the veterinary resources to provide the level of care he needed.

He was scheduled to be euthanized.

So we said yes.

And Maddox began to heal.

A loving foster family in Wichita stepped up and gave him a safe place to recover. He gained weight, regained strength, and started feeling better. But as he got healthier, he also became too much physically for that foster home to manage, so he came to our Little Red Barn.

At first, he did great.

He loved people.
He got along with other dogs.
He adored our staff.

But over the next eight months, we watched something change.

The constant activity of shelter life began to take a toll.

Maddox became increasingly fearful and reactive around new people and during certain kennel transitions. He never bit or attacked anyone, but his behavior was telling us something important:

Maddox was struggling.

And that distinction matters.

Because sometimes the animal isn't failing the shelter.

Sometimes the shelter environment is failing the animal.

We pursued medical evaluations. We consulted multiple trainers. Eventually, Maddox entered an eight-week board-and-train program.

And something incredible happened.

Away from the environment where he had been struggling, he started thriving again.

The trainer told us something else we needed to hear:

Maddox couldn't do all that work and then return to the same environment that had contributed to his decline.

He needed a foster home.

Finding one wasn't easy.

How do you ask someone to foster a nearly 90-pound pit bull who is slow to trust new people, struggles with kennels in certain situations, and may require multiple introductions before feeling comfortable?

Jen finally said yes.

And she did it knowing there was a very real possibility Maddox might live with her forever.

Then Maddox walked into her home... and fit.

He loved her dogs.

He even loved her cat.

The dog who had struggled so deeply in a shelter environment began showing everyone exactly who he could be when he felt safe.

He also taught us something else:

Trust can be rebuilt.

Beth was one of the people Maddox had once been afraid of, and she had been afraid of him, too.

But she invested the time.

Slow introductions.

Patience.

No forcing the relationship.

Eventually, they formed an incredible bond.

That relationship showed us that Maddox could learn to trust new people.

He just needed someone willing to move at his pace.

So we started looking for his family.

One potential home wasn't quite the right fit.

Then another family found him.

They knew his history.

They understood his training.

They knew he wasn't the kind of dog who would instantly love every stranger.

They met him.

We visited their home.

We took him there twice.

And because Maddox absolutely lived for playing ball, they even covered their swimming pool so he would have more room to run and play fetch.

When we brought him there, it felt like he knew.

He was home.

Maddox became Gus.

And Gus is loved.

He's thriving.

He's exactly where he belongs.

His story is one of our greatest reminders of why we have to reimagine rescue.

Because saving a life isn't enough if the environment we place that animal in slowly breaks them down.

Healing isn't always medical.

Fear hurts.

Emotional pain is real.

And sometimes saving a soul means investing the time, training, patience, and resources to heal something you can't see on an X-ray.

Peace has to be just as important as survival.

Maddox reminded us that the hard ones are worth fighting for.

His journey challenged us. It taught us. It helped us become better at what we do.

And today, there are countless other Maddoxes sitting in shelters who may never be given the same opportunity.

That's part of our dream.

To create spaces where an animal doesn't have to be perfect to be worthy.

Where fear isn't an automatic death sentence.

Where struggling doesn't mean forgotten.

Where we can meet each soul exactly where they are and give them the environment, time, and opportunity to become who they were always capable of being.

100 days. 100 stories. 100 reminders of why we believe Rescue Reimagined is possible. ❤️

Sometimes finding furever starts with simply being seen.

Today, Shelby and volunteer JJ are sharing a little about our PetSmart kitty program and the incredible volunteers who make it possible.

Every single day, volunteers visit our PetSmart locations to feed, clean, socialize, play with, and love on the cats in our care.

PetSmart gives these sweet souls something incredibly important: visibility.

Someone may walk in for a bag of dog food and walk out having met the cat they didn't even know was missing from their life.

And it works.

So many of our cats have found their furever families because they were in the right place, at the right moment, for the right person to see them.

But not every kitty thrives in that environment.

Some are shy and scared.

Some need peace and quiet.

Some are FIV+.

Some are mamas raising babies.

Some are recovering from illness.

And some simply need more time and a different kind of space before they can show the world who they really are.

That's where the dream gets bigger.

When Homestead East opens its doors, we have big dreams for our kitties, too.

Tiny homes where mama cats can safely raise their babies.

Dedicated space for FIV+ cats.

Quiet areas for cats who need time to decompress, heal, or learn to trust again.

Places where volunteers can sit with them, love on them, and help them feel safe.

Because Rescue Reimagined isn't just about saving lives.

It's about asking what each individual soul needs to thrive and then doing everything we can to build it.

PetSmart.
Foster homes.
Tiny homes.
Volunteers.
Adopters.
Dream Builders.

It all works together.

Every piece matters.

And every piece brings us one step closer to creating something better for the animals who need us most.

100 days. 100 stories. 100 reminders of why we believe Rescue Reimagined is possible.

Because every animal deserves more than a second chance.

They deserve the chance to truly thrive. ❤️

Sometimes the souls you never knew you needed find their way into your life at exactly the right time.

For Jen, that soul was Josie.

Josie was a senior dog, discarded in the Oklahoma countryside. Somehow, this funny little gremlin, full of grunts, snorts, and endless personality, found her way across the miles and straight into Jen's life.

And she arrived when Jen needed her most.

After losing Libby, one of the great loves of her life, Jen was carrying a grief that felt impossible to put into words.

Jen thought this discarded little senior needed saving.

It turned out Josie was the one who helped save her.

Josie became a reminder that life is made up of both joy and sorrow. Sometimes the sorrow stays longer than we think we can bear. But it only hurts so deeply because it was preceded by an extraordinary amount of love.

And eventually, if we keep our hearts open, joy finds its way back.

We love again.
We rescue again.
Another soul finds us.

That is Josie's story.

And it is part of the reason we dream so big.

Because somewhere tonight, there is another Josie.

The senior.
The medically complicated one.
The funny little gremlin someone decided wasn't worth keeping.

We dream of a future where age doesn't make you disposable and homelessness doesn't make you invisible.

A future where animals like these are seen, given time, given care, and given the opportunity to become someone's entire world.

Because this dream has never just been about building buildings.

It's about building a different future for animals like Josie.

100 days. 100 stories. 100 reminders of why we believe Rescue Reimagined is possible.

And somewhere out there, another Josie is waiting to save someone who thinks they're the one doing the rescuing. ❤️

Arctic / Abby was a breeder surrender at the Blue Pearl emergency hospital. The story was She sustained injuries while at the home of the breeder by the other dogs. The vets said Her injuries didn't quite match with what was told to the emergency hospital by the breeder. Abby was in ICU at the hospital for a few days and not getting better based on the ivy meds that the vets were giving her. So they knew there was something deeper that had to be taken care of. They weren't sure what they would find by doing a surgery so we didn't know the outcome of how happy would do. The surgery revealed that Abby had a punctured lung and some bone fragments floating around in her stomach and had to have surgery. Always and Furever went all in and went ahead and got Abby the surgery she needed where she could have a full life once she was healed. I had the privilege of picking her up and fostering her for a few weeks and then drove her to her new home in the Cleveland Ohio area.
Abby has quite a life in ohio. She has a really big yard and two big brothers that are golden retrievers that little sister bosses them around. She does not like the swim but she likes to watch her brother swim. She is bonded to her brother named Finn it was also rescued in Kansas City. Abby gets to go camping where she has acres and acres to run. She wears a GPS collar so her dad's know where she is. It takes one whistle and calling her name and she comes back and looks at them like "WHAT DO YOU WANT I WAS HAVING FUN". Abby loves everyone that she meets. She's the youngest in the house but she runs the house. She is loved deeply and sleeps in the bed. She will take her paw and tap on whoever she's sleeping with that night so that they rub her belly until she falls asleep. This is the life she deserved and that ALWAYS AND FUREVER gave her the chance to have this life. Abby is a very happy girl thanks to this rescue. She has her two dads wrapped around her little Paw.
Always and Furever took a chance and went all in to save this puppy who's now living her best life in Ohio. I am forever grateful for all this rescue does for so many. Abby is just one of so many stories that should touch your heart everyday of this hundred days.

We know he was loved once. We also know that what happened to him left a mark.

Bernie has trust issues. He chooses his people. He isn’t going to run up and immediately love everyone he meets. You have to give him time. You have to earn it.

But once Bernie chooses you?

He loves you with everything he has.

He snuggles into you. He wants to be near you. He makes you part of his little world.

And yes, that world also includes a deep and ongoing feud with birds, lawn mowers and Amazon drivers.

Bernie isn’t perfect. He isn't the right dog for every home. He needs people who understand him and respect what he has been through.

In many shelters, a fearful dog like Be

rnie doesn't get enough time for anyone to discover who he really is. Bernie was trembling in a shelter and was at risk of being euthanized because of his fear.

But we have the word sanctuary in our name for a reason.

Our job isn't simply to keep Bernie alive.

It's to give him a life worth living.

So Bernie goes on pontoon rides. He hops in the car. He even went rollerblading. He gets couches and friends and adventures. He gets people who know his quirks and love him anyway.

Most importantly, he gets time.

That is part of our dream.

To build a different kind of shelter. One where we look beyond labels. Where peace matters as much as survival. Where an animal isn't expected to be perfect to be worthy of love.

Because sometimes the ones who need us most aren't the easiest.

Sometimes they need us to stay long enough to discover who they are underneath the fear.

Bernie wasn't supposed to be tonight's story.

But maybe that's exactly why he needed to be

Two big dogs simply wasn’t something she could manage at the time.

Then Charlie fell and broke his hip. At the vet, they discovered a brittle bone disease that would make recovery incredibly difficult and painful. The kindest choice was to let him go.

And Zoey was suddenly without her person. Her companion. Her friend.

So Sarah brought her home.

At first, Zoey wandered the backyard from side to side, almost as if she were searching for a way back to the life—and the friend—she knew.

Eventually, she settled.

And then her personality came out.

Zoey was a talker. She made sure everyone knew when it was time for dinner, when snacks were overdue and, apparently, when the household needed to get itself together. She welcomed other dogs into the home and became part of the revolving door of rescue souls who found a safe place there.

Sarah had a little over a year with her before losing her unexpectedly.

But the story didn't quite end there.

A couple of years later, Sassy arrived at the barn—and she looked so much like Charlie that Sarah couldn't shake the connection.

She kept telling herself someone else would adopt Sassy. Until finally, before leaving town for work, she made her a promise:

If you're still here when I get back, I'm taking you home.

Sassy was still there.

So Sarah kept her promise.

Sassy became another talker, another wonderful ambassador to foster dogs, and another deeply loved soul who became part of Sarah's family.

Maybe that is one of the strangest and most beautiful things about rescue.

One dog leads you to another. One loss creates room to help another soul. The ones who leave us somehow remain woven into the lives of the ones who come next.

Sarah said something during her live that feels like the perfect reason we're telling these 100 stories:

“If somebody’s remembering them and talking about them, they kind of live forever.”

So today, we remember Charlie.

We remember Zoey.

We remember Sassy.

And we remember all the souls who helped build this rescue into what it is today—and who continue to shape the dream of what it can become tomorrow.

We dream of rescue where animals aren't simply housed in rows of kennels waiting for what comes next. We dream of home-like spaces, Lighthouses, lifesaving veterinary care and a place where peace matters just as much as survival.

That is the dream we're building at Homestead East.

And just like rescue itself, we won't build it alone.

Become a Dream Builder with a gift of $250, give whatever amount is possible for you, or simply share these stories and help someone else understand why this dream matters.

We try. We dream. And sometimes, we dream really big.

Rows of kennels. Dogs barking. Dogs stressed and overwhelmed. So many faces waiting for someone to stop and see them.

Her daughter ultimately chose one of those dogs and named him Santos — meaning “saint.”

And Santos lived up to his name.

That year, Dawn lost both of her parents. It was an incredibly sad season of her life, and Santos became a source of comfort she hadn't known she would need. He would find her to offer comfort as she cried.

He was technically her daughter’s dog — her “grandpup” — but Dawn dog-sat often and fell completely in love with him.

Santos didn't just introduce Dawn to rescue. He showed her what one rescued dog could bring into a family's life.

Later, after Dawn lost her own older dogs (Lucy who was "smile walking around" and her "silly Boy" Bentley Bear) and was ready to open her heart again, she knew what she wanted: a senior dog.

That search led her to Always & Furever.

And she’s been part of this family ever since.

Dawn has fostered, loved and helped dogs who needed someone in their corner. But it all traces back to one trip to a shelter and one dog named Santos.

Sometimes rescue begins that simply.

You meet one dog.

You see something you can't unsee.

And suddenly, you understand why there has to be a better way.

That is part of our dream.

A future where dogs aren't spending their days stressed in rows of kennels. Where rescue can feel like home. Where peace and dignity matter alongside survival.

Because you never know which dog might become someone's Santos.

And you never know how one rescued dog might change the entire direction of a life.

Josie came into Jen’s life after she lost her beloved Libby—an angel who seemed to arrive exactly when Jen’s heart needed her most. It’s a story about loss, love, healing, and sometimes getting exactly what you need when you least expect it.

But, as often happens in rescue, the night didn’t quite go as planned.

During Jen’s live, someone arrived at the Little Red Barn with a stray dog they had found. They needed help scanning for a microchip and figuring out what to do next.

So Jen stopped.

Because that’s rescue.

Sometimes the thing right in front of you needs more attention than the thing you had planned. Sometimes someone shows up at the barn needing help, and you figure it out together.

The stories can wait. The souls who need us sometimes can’t.

Jen will be back tonight to finish telling Josie’s story—the story she intended to share with you yesterday.

Stay tuned. We’ll send Josie’s full story straight to your inbox Thursday morning.

Because even the interruptions are part of these 100 days and 100 stories. They’re part of what rescue really looks like.

My dog Tucker died in july 2022. i was devastated. i started volunteering at the Oz location in late August to help me through my grief. in mid september a very frightened, abused dog was brought in to the shelter who was so scared, it was almost impossible to get her out of her kennel to go to the bathroom. she would walk in circles and constantly have loose stools if anyone came near her. had injury to front left leg and bloody eye. That beautiful black dog stole my heart the minute i met her. i knew then i had to try and help her learn to trust and there is love in the world. . the day i took her home to foster, she was shaking uncontrollably and barricaded herself in to the floor board of my truck. i thought she wouldnt even make it to my house. she wouldnt come in from the garage for about 3 weeks and then she found her safe spot in the living room corner on a doggie bed. For months i tried to get her to go outside or play with toys or anything and she just stayed in that bed. she would only eat after we went to bed. The staff at always and furever got her set up with a specialist to try and help her get through her fear. He was great and got her started on some meds to help her. still not much improvement. then a staff member suggested having another dog come in and introduced md to another foster family from Lansing. they were kind enough to bring a couple of dogs over several times and Sadie loved being around other dogs and they seemed to really help her to start getting up out of her bed. After that, the staff suggested maybe fostering another dog. Then came this force of nature Deanna Rose. Deanna was a saving grace for Sadie. She helped Sadie blossom and taught her how to be a dog. I adopted Sadie in december of 2023. Deanna Rose was with me a little over a year and a family in olathe saw all the pictures and read about her story and instantly fell in love with her. She is now a part of their family and is loved so much. she still comes and stays with us when her family goes on vacation. Sadie has a nrw sister now that lives with us and has made incredible progress over the past 4 years. still has a some anxiety with new people but the transformation has warmed my heart and inspired me. The love and trust i see in her eyes make me want to share it with others and hopefully inspire others to take a chance and foster or adopt. Believe me it will change you forever. and i know i am a better person because if my dogs and i have been given the best gifts in life with the addition of these dogs in my life. Words will never express how precious this experience has been for me. thank you always and furever and to God for putting me in the right place! ❤️🐾

Day 15: Bluebell & Paula — Love Doesn’t Always Look the Way We Expect

Jen shares an honest, emotional story about Bluebell and Paula, two bonded senior dogs who had spent approximately 14 years living outdoors. After they struggled in the barn and an earlier foster placement didn’t work out, Jen welcomed them into her home and eventually adopted them together.

The dogs were quiet and independent, accepting affection on their own terms. Unlike her other dogs, they didn’t seek constant closeness, leaving Jen struggling with guilt and feeling she wasn’t giving them enough. Jen recalls advocating for Paula when a specialist recommended euthanasia because of her enlarged heart. She brought Paula home, where she lived approximately five more months before her condition declined.

After Paula died, Bluebell struggled with grief and nighttime pacing, leaving Jen exhausted and overwhelmed. Looking back, Jen wishes she had asked for help instead of suffering silently out of fear of judgment. Both dogs remained with her until their deaths, and each offered a moment of closeness at goodbye that she still treasures.

The message for fosters and adopters:

• It is okay to acknowledge that a placement isn’t the right fit. Asking for help or returning an animal should be met with compassion.

• Not every animal expresses love the same way. Quiet companionship can still hold meaning.

• Caregivers need support, too. Honest conversations help people and animals find the care they need.

• Rescue must offer more than survival. Peace, comfort, dignity, and meaningful daily experiences are central to A&F’s No Kill, No Kennel vision.

Jen connects these lessons to the dream of making shelters feel like homes and expanding veterinary care for A&F, other rescues, and the community.

Campaign ask:

Find 5,600 people giving $250, totaling $1.4 million.

The challenge announced in the video is 25 donors giving $250 that week.

Every donation—and every share—helps move the dream forward.

She describes several meaningful animals:

• Emmylou inspired her passion for senior-animal rescue.
• Stormy was her first A&F foster cat.
• Chunky became her first cat foster failure and now participates in community visits at a rehabilitation and memory-care facility.
• Pam is another foster failure.
• Gary, her current foster, is being adopted after living with her since Thanksgiving.
• Larry is a shy black cat who struggled at PetSmart but is thriving in a tiny home at the Osawatomie location.

A major theme is advocacy for FIV-positive cats. All of Shelby’s personal cats are FIV-positive, and she explains that FIV is not a death sentence. These cats can live long, healthy lives with ordinary responsible care.

Shelby also discusses how A&F has grown from a senior-dog sanctuary into an organization serving cats, kittens, dogs of all ages, ponies, and people needing veterinary assistance. She is especially excited about:

• Cat-friendly tiny homes planned for Homestead East
• Safe spaces for FIV-positive cats, pregnant mothers, sick cats, and kittens
• Wichita’s lifesaving work with neonatal kittens
• A future brick-and-mortar veterinary center in Kansas City
• Expanding community veterinary assistance into Missouri
• The “100 Days, 100 Stories” fundraising campaign

She closes by encouraging supporters to donate or share the campaign and announces plans for recurring Sunday broadcasts—possibly called “Sup Sundays”—featuring animal stories, organizational updates, and guest speakers.

But then something beautiful happened.

Within just 24 hours, we started seeing Pooches come back. A little more curiosity, a little more confidence, and that wonderful old man spunk began shining through.

He realized he was safe. He realized there were people here who loved him.

Look what love can do.

Sometimes an animal doesn't need us to fix them. Sometimes they just need somewhere safe enough to remember who they were.

Within just 24 hours

we started seeing Pooches come back.

Please share Pooches and help us find him a foster or forever home.

And somewhere out there is an owner whose life changed and who had to say goodbye to a dog they loved for 13 years. We may never know who that person is, but I would love for Pooches' story to somehow find its way back to them, so they can know their old friend is safe, loved, and getting another chance.

Sometimes life separates us from those we love through no choice of our own.

Pooches deserves someone who will love him through the rest of his story.

She was 14 years old when someone decided they didn’t want her anymore. She came into my life for what was supposed to be a little while, and somehow, in just three months, she became part of me.

I remember thinking I was giving her a safe place to land. But Layla gave me something too. She helped my Libby heal. She brought this quiet kind of love into our home, and she taught me that sometimes the animals we think we are saving are saving pieces of us right back.

She was only mine for three months, but it never felt like three months. It felt like I had loved her forever. And I still do.

That is why this matters so much to me. Every single life has a ripple effect. Every animal touches someone else. Every soul matters.

Our dream is that shelters can be different. That animals can be loved, seen, and cared for as individuals. That peace matters just as much as survival.

We are trying to raise $1.4 million through 5,600 people giving $250 to help build the next chapter of Rescue Reimagined, including a donor-funded veterinary center.

You don’t have to give $250 to matter. Give $5. Give $25. Share Layla’s story. It all adds up

And I’m going to piggyback off Jen’s post that animals never replace the ones we’ve lost. They don’t try to. They just find another little space in your heart and fill it in a completely different way. They don’t care who you were yesterday, what mistakes you’ve made, what you look like or what you have. They just meet you exactly where you are and love you from there.

And maybe that’s what all of these souls have been teaching us for the last 9,000 lives.

That rescue can be different

That a shelter doesn’t have to feel like a shelter. It can feel like a home. A place filled with couches and friends and sunshine and second chances. A place where the scared ones get time, the old ones matter, and nobody becomes disposable because they are difficult, expensive or simply ran out of time.

That is Rescue Reimagined. That is our dream.

And now we’re asking you to dream with us.

Phase one is $1.4 million. That sounds impossible until you break it down. 5,600 people giving $250 builds it. And if $250 isn’t possible, $25 matters. $10 matters. $5 matters. Sharing this story matters.

Because this has never been about one person doing something enormous. It’s about thousands of people deciding to do one little thing together.

So for 100 days, we’re going to keep telling you who we are. We’re going to keep introducing you to the souls who made us who we are. And maybe somewhere along the way, you’ll decide this dream belongs to you too.

One person. One share. One donation. One soul at a time.

We Have a Dream. Come build it with us.

Charlotte was our first save from the Wichita Animal Shelter.

She was a scruffy little cat. Her eyes were bleeding. She looked horrific.

And when Jen saw her, the thought was simple:

"If she needs me, I need her."

There were plenty of reasons to hesitate. Jen didn’t know if her dogs would accept a cat. She didn’t know if she was ready for one. She had had a traumatic loss of Bad Cat not long before.

But somehow, in a million ways, Charlotte needed her.

And in a billion more, Jen said she needed Charlotte.

Charlotte went to Jen's home with flea dermatitis and a list of medical needs that would only grow. Over the next two years, there would be test after test, hospital stay after hospital stay, and more than one moment when Jen thought she was going to lose her.

And somewhere along the way, they also learned something unexpected: Charlotte was a boy.

The name stayed. Because Charlotte was Charlotte.

Jen's time with Charlotte would be painfully short — just two years. About a year and a half in, the medical battles became harder. There were days when it looked like Charlotte might not make it.

But even in the hardest moments, Jen could feel how pure Charlotte’s love was.

No expectations. No conditions.

Just love.

Charlotte also brought people into Jen’s life, including one of her best friends, Beth. That is one of the things animals do. Their impact stretches far beyond the space they occupy in our homes. They connect us to people, places and pieces of ourselves we might never have found without them.

When Charlotte passed in July 2022, the loss came during an already heartbreaking year.

But having Charlotte for only two years never made those two years less important.

Charlotte reminded Jen how unbelievably lucky and blessed she was to have known the love of a cat.

And Charlotte opened her eyes to something else.

How many cats were sitting in shelters waiting for someone to see them?

There still is an unbelievable disparity between the value we put on the life of a dog versus the life of a cat.

Charlotte helped turn Jen into what she will proudly tell you she is today: "100% a dog person and 100% a cat person."

She taught Jen about cats, about unconditional love, about loss and about an entire population of shelter animals desperately needing someone to notice them.

Because sometimes the animal you think you are saving becomes the one who changes everything.

Today, cats are a huge part of the dream we are building, too. Because of an amazing cat team and foster system we often have more than 100 cats in our care.

100 days. 100 stories. One dream.

We have a dream that shelters can be places of hope — places where every soul is seen, loved and given a chance, and where people can leave feeling better than when they arrived.

We are building that dream together. A rescue rooted in joy.

1.4 million. 5,600 Dream Builders. $250 at a time.

We're sharing 100 rescue stories over 100 days to raise $1.4M, to build our dream that is Homestead East in KC. A place that will show people what's possible when rescue is rooted in joy. A dream that won't be built on one big check. 5,600 gifts of $250 will make it real.

BECOME A DREAM BUILDER: https://buff.ly/xYQ66OV

TELL US ABOUT THE RESCUE THAT CHANGED YOUR LIFE OR THE MOMENT THAT LED YOU TO RESCUE: https://buff.ly/nEnWd9w

His name was Sheldon. He was an old guy, and we were a brand-new senior sanctuary with a little room to help.

But when we got there, Sheldon wasn’t the only dog who needed someone.

There were six dogs on that day’s euthanasia list.

We were a new rescue. We had a minivan. And that minivan had space.
So all six got in.

Two would eventually head to another rescue partner, while Sheldon, Max, Loki and Luna came home with us. They became the 8th, 9th, 11th and 12th dogs to call our Little Red Barn home.

And only Sheldon was old.

The others? Young pit bull mixes.

So much for being a senior sanctuary.

But that day helped shape something that has been part of Always & Furever ever since:

How do you say no to a soul who simply needs someone to see them and say yes?

Sheldon went on to become the first official adoption from the Little Red Barn in 2018.

Luna became one of our longest-term residents. She was adopted and returned more than once, always coming back to the people who loved those soulful eyes and that enormous heart. She became a staff and volunteer favorite—and this year, after all that waiting, Luna finally found her furever home. She is living her best life with people to call her very own.

And Max? Well, Max definitely wasn't an old guy. He was young, energetic and very good at keeping everyone at our supposed “senior sanctuary” on their toes.

One trip.
One minivan.
Six lives that needed someone to say yes.

And four dogs who became part of the earliest chapters of this Little Red Barn.

We didn't know then exactly what Always & Furever would become. We didn't know how many thousands of animals would eventually come through our doors.

We just knew there were lives in front of us that mattered.

And we said yes.

That is still our dream today.

To build places where there is room to say yes. Where animals who have nowhere else to go can land safely, heal, be loved and have the chance to find what comes next.

For 100 days, we're sharing 100 of the stories that built this dream.

Because before there was a campaign, a Homestead East, Lighthouses or plans for what comes next, there were dogs like Sheldon, Max, Loki and Luna.

And a minivan with a little extra room.

We Have a Dream.

And we're building it together.

$1.4 million · 5,600 Dream Builders · $250 at a time

Become a Dream Builder and help us make room for the next soul who needs someone to say yes.

We're sharing 100 rescue stories over 100 days to raise $1.4M, to build our dream that is Homestead East in KC. A place that will show people what's possible when rescue is rooted in joy. A dream that won't be built on one big check. 5,600 gifts of $250 will make it real.

BECOME A DREAM BUILDER: https://buff.ly/xYQ66OV

TELL US ABOUT THE A&F RESCUE THAT CHANGED YOUR LIFE: https://buff.ly/nEnWd9w

DAY 9 OF 100 — WE HAVE A DREAM.
What if rescue could be more than a place animals go when they have nowhere else to go?
What if our Kansas City campus could become something almost like a YMCA for people AND animals — a place where you don’t have to be adopting a dog to belong. A place to gather, volunteer, learn, laugh, meet people, help animals, find purpose and maybe feel a little less alone. A place where the unhoused are welcomed, families come together, kids grow up learning compassion, seniors find community, and animals who once had nobody suddenly have an entire village.
That is Rescue Reimagined. And that is our dream.
Mama and Gump reminded us why. They taught us that life is ridiculously short and that we aren’t supposed to spend it waiting for someday. We are supposed to LIVE it. Fill it with joy. Love deeply. Work together. And they reminded us that rescue gets stronger when rescues stop acting like islands and start believing we can accomplish more together than any of us ever could alone.
So tonight, I want to know YOUR dream.
Not just for animal rescue. What do you dream could be different in your community, your life, or this world if enough people decided to believe it was possible?
Our dream takes $1.4 million.
That sounds enormous until you realize it is 5,600 people giving $250.
And then suddenly it isn't one impossible mountain. It's 5,600 people each carrying one little piece.
Some can give $250. Some can give $25. Some can give $5. Some can share this post, tell our story, volunteer, pray, introduce us to someone who can help, or simply believe with us.
We believe in a God capable of things far beyond anything we could accomplish alone. And maybe that's the whole point of a dream this big — none of us is supposed to be able to do it alone.
5,600 people. $250. $1.4 million.
We can do this.
Share your dream. Share our dream. Share your story. And then let's find a way together.

🐾 100 Days of Rescue 🐾 DAY 1: Wallace

Tonight, we begin our 100 days with Wallace.

He wasn't the story we planned to share first. We were going to begin with Daisy, our very first rescue. But then Wallace needed us - and that is what happens in rescue.

We pivot. Plans change. Needs become urgent. A soul standing right in front of us becomes the story that must be told.

Wallace came to the Little Red Barn just today.

It is clear life has not been kind to him. He is much too thin and he had a harness that was way too small embedded in his neck. He has been to the ER to get the first of his medical needs taken care of.

Tonight, he is safe in our care. Learning what that love and peace looks and feels like.

Could we have pulled a young easy to adopt dog? We could have. But Wallace is alive today because you all believe, like we do, that those that others throw out and pass over, are worth saving.

That's what this campaign is about. We're sharing 100 rescue stories over 100 days to raise $1.4M to build our dream that is Homestead East in Kansas City. A place that will give a chance and a home to a dog like Wallace who needs someone to believe his life is worth saving.

Tonight we begin 100 days of believing that a dream really can become reality.

The dream is simple: 5,600 people × $250 = $1.4 million to help build Homestead East and reimagine what rescue can be. And for our first 200 $250 donations, every dollar will be matched dollar for dollar.

Already, 40 people have stepped forward. We can do this. One person at a time. One story at a time. One dream at a time.

Help us dream big for all of the animals out there who still need their happily ever after.

DONATE NOW

Website: alwaysandfurever.org/donate

Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/u/AlwaysandFurever

Howard sat at the Wichita Animal Shelter at the top of the euthanasia list. An old pit bull on death row, feeling hopeless. On his very last day, the barn pulled him. In one whirlwind weekend, the sanctuary went from three dogs to six.

Howard was the barn's first Wichita Animal Shelter pull: "Welcome home Howard. We've been waiting for you."

The defeated dog from death row turned out to be the happiest soul in the barn. Just a glance his way would send his tail wagging. And then there were the bubbles. No dog or human could match his love for them. He tasted his first-ever ice cream cone, ran through sprinklers, and caught "a JILLION tennis balls,". Even Hank's (Day 5) constant fun-policing couldn't deter him from having a good time, all of the time.

But month after month, Howard watched other dogs leave for forever homes while he stayed. His hips and knees were bad, and his pride was hurt if anyone tried to carry him up stairs.

"Howard has been in the barn the longest of all our pups and we are completely baffled why," the barn pleaded. "He needs his person."

Then, after eight months, the post everyone had been waiting for: "IT'S FINALLY FB OFFICIAL. HOWARD HAS A FOREVER FAMILY!"

As the barn put it, "We may have saved his life, but his forever mama saved his spirit."

Howard got more than a year of the family life he'd waited so long for. In April 2020, the barn said goodbye to its sixth baby: "May bubbles run freely everywhere and over everything."

Howard's story started hours from being put down. Instead he spent the next two years smiling. He was given the chance to feel hope, happiness, and what a furever home feels like.

DONATE NOW

Website: alwaysandfurever.org/donate

Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/u/AlwaysandFurever

🐾 100 Days of Rescue 🐾

DAY 2: DAISY

Before there was a barn, before there was a lighthouse, before there was any of it, there was Daisy.

The weather was turning cold in October 2017 when we learned about an old girl who'd spent nearly her whole life outside on a chain in isolation. Her owner was going into assisted living, and from the moment we saw Daisy's big, sad eyes peering out from under that fence, she had stolen all our hearts. We had to help rewrite the second part of her story.

That's why on October 24, 2017, Daisy became Always & Furever's very first rescue.

The good folks at Kerry's Kennel in Spring Hill kept her that first night. She was shy, sweet, and eager to make friends. The next day, Spring Hill Veterinary Clinic found a mammary gland mass that needed to come out. A quickly organized GoFundMe covered the surgery and her mass was benign. Since the sanctuary was still under construction, Scott, a friend of Jen's, agreed to foster Daisy.

Well, Scott never stood a chance. The two bonded instantly. After their trip home from the vet, he knew they were inseparable. Scott called Jen and asked to make it official and adopt Daisy permanently.

Four days after being unchained, she had a new furever home.

Nearly eight years and hundreds of seniors saved later, we still open every anniversary by telling her story. She's the first dog to exemplify our belief that every senior dog deserves a happily ever after. That age shouldn't be an expiration date for love.

Daisy is the reason there's a "we" to tell our story at all.

That's what this campaign is about.

We're sharing 100 rescue stories over 100 days to raise $1.4M to build our dream that is Homestead East in Kansas City.

A place that will show people what's possible when rescue is rooted in joy. A haven that will show animals like Daisy what is possible after making it to the other side of that fence.

Help us dream big for all of the animals out there who still need their happily ever after

DONATE NOW

Website: alwaysandfurever.org/donate

Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/u/AlwaysandFurever

🐾 100 Days of Rescue 🐾

DAY 6: BERNADETTE

In early June 2018, a volunteer drove home from St. Louis with two dogs, and one of them called shotgun.

Bernadette arrived at the barn blind, her body full of tumors and ticks, her prognosis grim. The welcome post pulled no punches:

"Bernie may not be with us long... but whatever we can do for you sweet girl I promise we will. No matter how long you have, at least you'll know love."

Nobody told Bernie she was fragile. Though she couldn't see, she taught herself the dog door and ran the place from day one. She earned a full royal roster of nicknames: Queen B, Big B, "Ms Big Brindle Butt". She also earned a reputation as the barn's beloved resident cranky pants: grumbling constantly, guarding the food bowls, and demanding breakfast be brought to her. And everyone adored her for it. She had her soft side though with a routine of sunbathing on hot Kansas days, sunset cuddles, and car rides with the windows down for pup cups and Sonic tater tots.

In August 2018, the barn feared they'd lose her.

But Queen B wasn't done.

She rallied for months, posed majestically in the snow for another winter season, and was crowned prom queen at the Golden Gala.

On February 4, 2019, came the diagnosis: her heart was failing. For eight more days, the posts kept coming. Good mornings, goodnights, one last kitchen begging session. On February 12, 2019, Bernie crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

Bernie was never adopted. The barn was her happily ever after. A blind dog given days to live instead got eight months of sunshine naps and a family of caregivers  who let her be exactly who she was: bossy, grumbling, resilient, and deeply loved.

Every dog deserves that kind of love, however long they have.

🐾

Penny

The Unexpected Addition Who Stole Every Heart

June 2018 — December 26, 2018 • Always & Furever Midwest Animal Sanctuary

"We Couldn't Leave Penny Behind" (June 2018)

Penny was never part of the plan. In early June 2018, volunteers drove to St. Louis to pick up Bernadette — and came home with two dogs. "When we went to grab Bernadette we couldn't leave Penny behind." While Bernie called shotgun, Penny slept the whole ride to Kansas. She arrived at the Little Red Barn a "little lumpy lady" with hip and leg issues, "a shaky scared mess" — a tiny senior rat terrier from a kill shelter, slowly learning she was safe while gentle giant Hank appointed himself her protector.

Princess of the Barn (Summer–Fall 2018)

Penny blossomed into pure barn royalty — and pure barn mischief. She was outed early as the "resident indoor pooper and piddler" who tried to blame Hank and hide under him when questioned. She was the second food thief "at large," wandering bowl to bowl. She stole Hank's bed so often he ended up on the floor, helped "clean the spoons" at meal prep (#pennyprepper), loved to howl, and raced Miles in legendary senior-vs-senior sprints with "a little spring in her step."

Her calendar was full: a Sunday Funday "Penny's Day Out" with car cruising and treats, sprinkler parties with Howard, Sonic pup cups and tots with Bernie, sunbathing sessions, dog park adventures, a Girls' Night Out at a paint-your-own-pottery studio, church visits with Miles, and one failed blind date with Bad Cat ("No sparks. Ehhh. We tried."). She had a nurturing side too — she and Mama took care of newcomer Gump.

"This sweet senior truly enjoys her life on the farm and her Jen that saved her."

She was forever underfoot or in Jen's arms — "Princess Penny," the little pup with the big heart, even serving as A&F's honorary "head accountant," Penny Pincher.

• • •

The Fight of Her Life (December 2018)

On December 19, 2018, everything changed: "Penny would appreciate everyone's prayers please. She's at BluePearl now and the outlook isn't good." After six months at the barn, Penny was suddenly fighting for her life, badly wounded. The community rallied instantly. The barn launched a "1000 Pennies" campaign — "See a PENNY pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck!" — and donations poured past $3,000 within a day against vet bills climbing over $4,000.

And Penny fought. She made it through the first night. On December 22 the barn posted in her voice:

"I've decided to stay and keep fighting... my time isn't up yet. I have so much love left to give."

Gump insisted on stopping by to give her love. When her wounds abscessed, surgeons placed a drain on December 23 and she came through surgery. On Christmas Eve, the miracle everyone prayed for: "Penny is home and resting... Our princess is home." She spent the evening in her own bed beside the Christmas tree, a piece of Jen's ham placed at the edge of her bed in case she wanted it later.

Goodbye, Princess (December 26, 2018)

The day after Christmas brought a final scare, a return to BluePearl, and then the hardest post: Penny "crossed the rainbow bridge... while resting in the loving arms of her momma, Jen." Jen's tribute remains one of the most beautiful things the barn ever wrote:

"You were our first unexpected addition and our most special... You were practically perfect in every way and one of my littlest best friends... Whatever is more than love, that's what you are."

Legacy

Penny's paw prints are everywhere at the sanctuary. "Penny's Place" was built in her honor, where other pups now nap. The barn's entrance road is Penny Lane — "Pull in. Left at Penny Lane. Entrance to heaven on earth." Dogs were pulled off euthanasia lists partly "because you look like our Penny." And in the barn's own words about its original six: four found the perfect home on earth, and Bernie and Penny "found the perfect home in heaven."

Penny's success story isn't an adoption — it's that a shaking, discarded senior from a kill shelter spent her last six months as a princess, utterly and completely loved.

DONATE NOW

Website: alwaysandfurever.org/donate

Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/u/AlwaysandFurever

100 Days of Rescue

Day 4: MILES 🐾

One day left to live. That's where Miles' story almost ended. A stray found wandering on a freezing February night in 2018, he was scheduled to be euthanized the next day at a shelter in Garnett, KS.

But fate had different plans. Jen stepped in. Kate agreed to foster Miles for three months, while an old horse barn was converted into a sanctuary. He was fostered so long, everyone jokingly started calling it "Miles' Barn."

Before the sanctuary opened, came the post that started it all: "Our first resident Miles checking out his furever home." That May, he officially moved in.

Miles was never the dog at the front of the pack demanding attention. His barn bio said it best: he was content to wait at the back of the group for whatever leftover love came his way. While everyone else napped, that's when he'd quietly walk up with sweet, hopeful eyes asking, do you have a little bit of time for me?

Earned nicknames included Smiley Miles, the resident potato dog, and the barn's fluffy night watchman. Though he mastered the dog door going out, he never quite figured out how to come back in. He was the best little ambassador we could ask for. He greeted fans at festivals, visited kids at church, and dipped fries in ice cream on Saturday drives. Anyone who met him experienced the quiet magic that came from loving him.

Five months after the barn opened, the humble dog at the back of the pack finally got his own family. He spent ten months as the heart of their home before his body slowed down.

From a stray with one day left, to the first resident of a little red barn, to a beloved family dog: Miles is the blueprint for everything we believe. We're still telling the story of the gentle old man whose sweet eyes only ever asked one question.

Someone finally answered.

We're sharing 100 rescue stories over 100 days to raise $1.4M, to build our dream that is Homestead East in KC. A place that will show people what's possible when rescue is rooted in joy. A dream that won't be built on one big check.

5,600 gifts of $250 will make it real.

Help us dream big for all of the animals out there who still need their happily ever after.

DONATE NOW

Website: alwaysandfurever.org/donate

Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/u/AlwaysandFurever

🐾 100 Days of Rescue 🐾

Day 3: ANNIE 🐾

Before anyone knew her name, Annie spent most of her life confined by a chain. You’d never have guessed it from her happy-go-lucky personality.

A good Samaritan convinced her owner to relinquish her, and that one act of kindness changed everything.

When Always & Furever first opened our doors in May 2018, Annie was the first dog to walk through them, on opening day itself.

Her defining trait showed up immediately: an unstoppable love of food. She was dubbed the “senior pup vacuum”. She earned her own spot in the “chamber of food thieves” at breakfast, so others could eat in peace. She even once made off with a volunteer’s sandwich. And as you can see in her photos, she had a talent for inhaling ice cream cones.

In June 2018, hard news came: a cancerous tumor on her neck, dangerously close to her jugular, on the very spot where a chain had tethered her for years. The community rallied to fund her surgery. She came home the next day, nose in the car vent the whole ride, then promptly stuck her whole face in a bag of treats.

Classic Annie.

That September, she found her family. She jumped straight into her mom’s arms and kissed her way into their hearts. She chose them. What followed was a year and a half of Sonic tater tots, couch cuddles, destroyed Christmas toys, and burger runs back to the barn with her volunteer best friend, who called her “Annie Banany, my ride or die.”

Annie’s cancer returned in early 2020, and she crossed the Rainbow Bridge that February. Not before her family gave her, in their words, the best year and a half of her life. From a lifetime on a chain to making friends at the barn, to cancer, to a family who chose her back.

It’s never too late for happily ever after. Annie’s journey through life proved it.

DONATE NOW

Website: alwaysandfurever.org/donate

Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/u/AlwaysandFurever

🐾 100 Days of Rescue 🐾

DAY 5: HANK

And then there were three.

Just days after Annie and Miles moved into the Little Red Barn, an 8-year-old, 175-pound Great Dane arrived as our third resident. Hank had been surrendered through no fault of his own. His family could no longer care for him, and too many stairs had become too much for his old legs.

Every visitor got the same welcome: Hank's ginormous head popping out of the doggie door, his deep Great Dane bark impatiently ordering them inside to love on him. The big bark was all talk of course, because it turns out he was a big marshmallow. He collected nicknames the way he collected dog beds: The Boss, Hank the Tank, King of the Crew, and, most famously, the "Fun Police," forever on patrol to keep his buddy Howard from having too much fun. He was so big the vet had to make barn calls because he couldn't fit in a car. He napped across two beds at once, murdered pillows, and thought he was a horse offering rides. But his gentlest job was his most important: protector of tiny, fragile Penny (who we will introduce in Day 7). She hid under him when she was in trouble, then stole his bed so often he slept on the floor.

Lorraine, a friend of Founder Jen's from Pittsburgh, freely admitted she was not a dog person. Jen bet her a paycheck she'd leave the barn with a dog. Lorraine spent the whole weekend following Hank around, wishing she could smuggle all 145 pounds of him home in her suitcase. Back in Pittsburgh, she couldn't stop thinking about him. First, her aunt offered to dog-sit, then her sister, then a neighbor, then four girls from the gym.

"I couldn't deny it anymore. It was time to bring my boy home," she decided.

On October 7, 2018, Hank moved to Pittsburgh. His adoption, along with his buddy Stuart's, opened the door for two more seniors to be saved.

Hank quickly settled into the good life: a big cozy bed, an entire first floor to himself, and a whole neighborhood turned into his fan club. His Facebook page, Hank's Haven, grew to over 9,500 followers with one video topping 9 million views.

"I still wouldn't consider myself a 'dog person,'" Lorraine said, "but I'm definitely a 'Hank person.'"

By summer 2019, Hank's huge, loving heart could no longer keep up with his body. An advanced heart condition was slowing him down. The barn community rallied one last time, raising funds for his care in under 25 minutes. On July 22, 2019, Hank crossed over, surrounded by love, having found his happily ever after on earth with Lorraine.

A dog surrendered for being too big and too old turned out to be exactly the right size for a woman who never wanted a dog at all. Years later, we're still telling his story: the gentle giant with his head out the doggie door, 24/7 fun police monitor, Penny's protector, and an adored neighborhood mascot.

Every gentle giant like Hank deserves to finds his person.

Help us continue saving gentle giants like Hank.

DONATE NOW

Website: alwaysandfurever.org/donate

Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/u/AlwaysandFurever

Tilly: The Snoopy Girl Who Picked Me
By Sandy A

Hi A&F family — this is Sandy.

Tilly rescued me in May 2020, just a few months after I lost my two furbabies a week apart. I was heartbroken and lost. I came to the Red Barn to meet Strudel, but before I could get across the room, this short, T-Rex-legged, long-bodied snoopy girl started following me around. She growled at every other dog who came near me — like, "back off, she's mine."

She had severe separation anxiety from being dumped, and from who knows what else she'd been through before we found each other. But she'd made her choice, and she was mine from that moment on.

Tilly crossed the Rainbow Bridge last September. I'm still very much grieving her. In the months since, I fostered a hospice rescue named Sterling for eight months — but I'm not ready yet to open my heart to another furbaby of my own.

I know Tilly was the hardest loss of my life. I'll never forget her sassy snoopy face, or how bossy she was the day she decided I belonged to her.

Love, Sandy ❤️‍🩹

Rosita: My First Foster, My Forever Lesson
By Lori G.

I've always had a dream of what rescue could look like — if I ever had the time and the means to do it right.

It started when a neighbor moved away and began volunteering at the Ulysses Animal Shelter. She'd post updates, and I'd follow along. Anne, the ACO there, always took the time to answer my questions and point me in the right direction. She introduced me to the Liberal Animal Shelter too, letting me know they needed just as much help — sometimes more.

One day I told Anne I thought I was ready to try fostering. I asked her where to start. Based on where I lived, she pointed me straight to Always & Furever, and she had wonderful things to say about the organization.

At first, I applied to adopt a sweet boy named Tyler Brownie. I met him and loved him — but the whole drive home, my gut kept telling me he wouldn't be the right fit with my pups at home. I called Susan D. and was honest with her. Backing out was hard, and I still think about him.

Then I messaged Jen and shared my dreams for what rescue could be. Her reply was full of everything A&F was already doing and planning — and in that moment, I knew I was home.

I switched gears to fostering, and Susan D. couldn't have been more understanding. She listened to exactly what I wanted to do. Before I knew it, Rosita's story landed in my inbox — and I said yes.

Rosita was an older girl, a little Chi mix pulled from a high-kill shelter in Oklahoma. She was my very first foster, and she was an absolute doll. A&F took care of everything — the logistics, the supplies, the support. They made saying "yes" easy.

I brought Rosita to a Meet & Greet at the Wichita Barn. Aspin was there, and she gently asked if I'd step away and let her handle the introduction. I did — because we both could see that Rosita was watching me instead of engaging with her potential family. That small moment taught me so much about what fostering really means: loving them enough to let them go.

Rosita was adopted by a wonderful family. They kept in touch for a while, and I hope with all my heart that she's still happy, still loved, still that same sweet girl. I miss her.

The photo of her in Oklahoma, and my two favorite photos from her time with me — that's how I'll always remember her.