Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate Bell.
Hi Kate, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My love for dogs started with my first pup, Lilly. She was my ride or die and as she got older, the idea of her being in a shelter broke my heart. At that time, I was also volunteering at BCAS and my husband and I were fostering dogs. One in particular decided she was home with us and happened to be a hospice case. Lilly and Diamond were immediately besties and from there the idea of saving senior and hospice dogs was officially in motion. The rescue itself is named after a dog as well! Our dog Reed who is still living his best life at age 11. We adopted him at 4 months old and named him after the infamous Ed Reed. I am lucky to have found an amazing group of supporters, volunteers, and board members that share this same passion. With them we have grown the rescue to save almost 200 dogs in just under 3 years.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
We definitely had some speed bumps in the road along the way. There have been times we needed to quickly find fosters for either dogs in shelters or dogs that needed new foster homes within the rescue. We have also had multiple veterinary bills, ER visits, surgeries, dentals, and a few dogs cross the rainbow bridge. Finances have been our biggest struggle from month to month, but we have managed to keep afloat and keep saving dogs!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Specializing in senior dogs has set us apart from most rescues since we take the often overlooked dogs from the shelter. They also tend to be the first to go for space due to age and health issues. We have found that getting these dogs into homes gives them a second lease on life and they usually end up living longer than expected. At this time, we are most proud of the relationships we have made by sharing our mission. We have found numerous supporters, businesses, fosters, that keep coming back to our events and following our journey. Our Pickle for Pups events is also something that we are proud to sponsor twice a year as our biggest fundraiser. Each time it is held, we get more and more participants and overall have a great time!
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
My advice for anyone thinking about starting a non-profit is to gather a resemblance of a board and volunteers before you get too busy. And also, not to sell yourself short. It is not an easy task or journey. Be humble but give yourself and your supporters credit where it is due. The best way to keep people engaged and coming back is to celebrate everyone’s success.
The one thing I wish I knew when starting out would be how to better manage my time when the majority of my “work week” is volunteer. Boundaries are important in anything that you do!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.reedsrescue.org
