Lost Angels Animal Rescue

Dogtime salutes Florida's Lost Angels Animal Rescue.

How did your organization get started?
Our organization got started about eight or nine years ago by five women who were already involved in dog rescue for many years but wanted to start their own group and put some of their ideas and dreams into action. Therefore Lost Angels Animal Rescue was born.

What is your mission?
Our mission is the rescue of as many dogs as possible who have been abandoned by their owners or taken to a shelter that does not support the No Kill philosophy. For many years Lost Angels has been at the forefront of establishing and supporting a No Kill philosophy among the many animal rescues and shelters in the Tampa Bay area.

How do most of your animals find their way to you?
Most of our animals come from High Kill shelters all over Florida, but we do occasionally take in owner surrenders and strays.

What happens to the animals once they are in your care?
Once in our care, the dogs go into a foster home and are provided with vet care and lots of TLC until we can find them the "right" home.

Tell us about a particularly compelling animal or inspiring rescue.
WOW.. this is a hard one because we have some many....Matilda was at a HIGH kill shelter. Kelly was making her rounds one week and saw her. Kelly and I are both partial to Shih Tzus. The dog was matted beyond belief. When Kelly asked about the dog they told her the dog was not worth saving as she was very old and they thought had some neurological problems because she spinned in circles.

Kelly saw beyond the mats and the circling and said, "NO, I WANT HER." So out came Matilda. She immediately took her to our vet and ask that they please sedate her to shave her down. Her ears looked like baseballs and it was all matted hair. The vet never sedated her. That poor baby sat there and let them shave her down without making a sound. Every once in a while she would lick the tech's hand. It was then discovered she was blind.

Well, Matilda was adopted several months later by a younger couple. They loved her! She was a queen in her castle. They even took her for a ride every night with the top down because she loved the wind in her hair. Jessica and Eric were able to enjoy their baby for 16 months before they lost her. And we will forever remember the dog so matted and uncared for that she wasn't "worth" saving. We're glad we saved her and she was able to know what life was like as a loved companion.