Volunteer
Volunteers
Meet our team of Volunteers who donate their time & energy to save lives! Would you like to join us? Complete share your interests with us or contact us by email anytime!
Founder & Volunteer
Fostering dogs and volunteering with shelters has been a passion for our family. There is a huge pet overpopulation crisis in the south and large demand for rescues in the north to help. Once we learned about the rescue world and the dire conditions shelter dogs endure, we had to help.
I've been an advocate for animals since childhood and am thrilled my husband & children share the same devotion. VT Dog Rescue is operated by our family including my husband, Keith, and our children Sarah, Jacob, and Kate.
We share our lives with free range chickens & ducks, 5 dogs, 3 cats, and 4 horses.
Foster Coordinator & Foster Family
I've been involved in rescue now since October of 2016. Most of my adult life, I was interested in fostering dogs, but too afraid to make the commitment. After losing my first dog to old age, I decided to give it a try thinking my remaining dog might enjoy the company.
Coach, who was 6 months, arrived from South Carolina with more challenges then I knew what to do with! Knowing that it was going to be very difficult to place Coach, we decided to adopt him. Otis died about a year later, and that's when I I enrolled in extensive training classes with Coach. He was just blossoming into a well-behaved, beautiful boy, when tragically, Coach died at the age of 2 from Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia. My heart was broken after losing 3 dogs in 3 short years, but I felt like I needed to honor Coach and his story in some way....that's when I found Brigitte and VT Dog Rescue.
We have since successfully fostered about 18 dogs for both VTDR as well as another rescue. Although the process of fostering is not always easy, I am forever grateful to all of my fosters for the love and healing they have provided. Fostering is one of the most challenging, rewarding experiences - I love it! No two dogs are the same and I'm always learning something new.
My family (husband, son and daughter) have been so supportive of this passion of mine. I couldn't do it without them. Fostering has now morphed into other responsibilities as I continue to learn more about what rescue entails and how it all works. We hope to adopt again someday, but for now, we are always excited to welcome a new pup into our home and love meeting new people along the way.
Social Media Expert
Coming Soon!
Application Processor Extraordinaire
Coming Soon!
Writer, Events Coordinator & Computer Admin
I have been an animal lover all of my life and have been dragging animals home since I was able to walk. Over the years my house has been home to a variety of dogs, cats, rabbits, squirrels, guinea pigs, birds and even a wounded chipmunk. These days I share my home with my english bulldog, Bruce, german shepherd, Kayleigh and three black cats, Anique, Barnum and Grissom. All are rescues. I have worked with other rescues in many different capacities and am passionate about saving animals. I am very excited for this opportunity to work with VT Dog Rescue!
Events Coordinator
Coming Soon!
Communications Coordinator
Coming Soon!
Dog Trainer and Canine Education Consultant
Deb is co-founder of Gold Star Dog Training. She offers VT Dog Rescue adopters a discount* on her 6-week basic training course.
Her training approach includes building a healthy dog-handler relationship along with teaching people how to read & respond to their dog's body language. Deb's classes are creative, educational and fun!
She has an extensive background in all things canine. Deb has been a therapy dog handler since 1996 and the Director of Training & Certification with Therapy Dogs of Vermont since 2005. She has designed training programs, travels throughout Vermont giving presentation & workshops, and has written several articles on dog training for various publications. Deb is also an advisor for the German Shepherd Resource and Rescue Center in MA.
You can visit her website to view her current class schedule, and follow her on Facebook.
* Our adoption packets contain information regarding Deb's very generous offer.
...and Volunteers
Barbara & Audrey along with their husbands provide transport for the dogs and help out during Adoption Days.
Barbara is working on a signature line of warm coats for our dogs as well as custom leashes.
The Crafty Bed Makers of VT Dog Rescue
These very generous ladies volunteer their time and talents at various locations around Vermont. Neighbors and friends, Barb & Audrey are creative geniuses who make beautiful crafts out of every day items.
VT Dog Rescue is thankful for the gorgeous quilted beds they donate to our rescue dogs. Many of these dogs have never felt the comfort of a soft bed or had a warm place to curl up on a cold night.
When they first experience Audrey & Barb's dog beds, there is an audible sigh as they sink into the most wonderful bed in the world. When asked what motivates them to volunteer, they shared the following.
We are both quilters and hated to see our scraps and those of friends going into a landfill so we began by making cat beds which were stuffed with the scraps. This has progressed to larger beds for dogs. Finding a group such as VT Dog Rescue is so heartwarming for it is local and we feel we are helping the animals, the group and our landfills.
As long as we have them in stock, VT Dog Rescue adopters will go home with one of their hand crafted dog beds. A bed made with love by amazing women who support dog rescue.
Foster Mom & Canine Educator
Coming Soon!
Events Coordinator, Foster Mom & Volunteer
Kristen is a lifelong dog lover who started volunteering in her first shelter in 2005 when she was just 13! She has since been involved in the foster and volunteer programs of many rescues and specializes in rescuing, fostering, and advocating for dogs with special needs. She is a local teacher and joined VT Dog Rescue when relocating back to Burlington in Summer 2018.
Transport Driver & Foster Mom
I volunteer to help transport dogs because every dog deserves a couch to sleep on.Shelter dogs are so happy to be loved and given a second chance.
I also foster dogs.
Jane -Proud owner of rescue dogs
Communications & Foster Mom
I was born loving dogs!!! I began saving strays when I was in grade school. Found them great homes and walked 2 or 3 miles to check on them to make sure they were well cared for! I have owned dogs since childhood and love them all beyond words!
Cobalt is my newest beloved pup who came from VT Dog Rescue in July, 2016. He is known by all to have a mommy lipstick kiss on his head all of the time. He is truly the highlight of our home along with his sib cats, Krunch and Munch!
I am a retired nurse and the proud mother of a grown daughter Ivy and son Jaren, grandmother of 2 precious girls, Abby and Leah. I am married to my high school sweetheart, Frank. The entire family adore dogs, cats and horses!
I volunteer my time to respond to emails and coordinate communications for the rescue. I’m also an experienced foster mom who enjoys caring for many of the new dogs who arrive.
Airport Transportation Coordinator
Pilots n Paws is a wonderful organization that transports dogs from high kill shelters to non-profit rescues throughout the United States. Annie's first meeting with one of their pilots was during the summer of 2016 when she welcomed Rocky (pictured here) & Poe to VT. Now, she is hooked!
Foster Family & Expert Groomer
We live in Essex junction with our three rescue dogs and one cat. We got involved with VT Dog Rescue when we adopted our hound mix Dobby; we were so happy with the dogs that Brigitte brought up and the adoption process that we wanted to get more involved. You can see us at most adoption nights talking with adopters and taking pictures of happy new owners with their pups!
Heather is the owner of Hairy Paws Grooming in Essex: https://www.facebook.com/hairypawsgroomingvt
Foster Family
Our love for animals and their individuality cannot be expressed. Fostering is just as exciting for us as it is for them! They are our children & their lack of voice is something we take very seriously to save those who have not been as fortunate as our own babies.
Showing them emotion is a bond that cannot be replaced or captured in words.
Volunteer
Coming Soon…
Volunteers & Foster
Sleepydog Kennel, a doggie daycare and boarding facility in Colchester, has been assisting in area dog rescue efforts since opening in 2010. They provide free room and board to rescue dogs awaiting adoption, as well as promoting and marketing them via their website and
We are so very thankful for all of their help!
meet more volunteers soon!
Veterinary Consultant
I'm proud to be a new member of the rescue community. While I've placed more than my fair share of strays over the years, I've never been a part of such a huge effort to help save the lives of so many animals. I consider myself to be a very small link in a huge chain and I'm in awe of the number of people who give so much of themselves on a very regulary basis.
While I'm new to the rescue community, I'm not new to the animal world. My first dog, through many years of training, received his obedience title. I have also owned more than my fair share of cats over the years. For the past 15 years, I've worked at a local veterinary hospital where I'm the office manager. We're a small practice where we all wear many hats to keep things running smoothly. My duties involve everything from checking people in and out, assisting in surgery and, everything in between.