Zoey & Charlie and then Sassy

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.