Ken-Mar Rescue Small Dog Rescue at La Cañada Petco Celebrates Milestone

The following is a press release from Ken-Mar Rescue, which is celebrating its 500th rescue small dog rescue. According to Gina Zamperelli of Ken-Mar Rescue, most of the dogs were rescued outside of the La Cañada Flintridge Petco. 

Since 2007, Ken-Mar Rescue, has introduced 500 dogs to their new “furever” families. They’ve developed a track record of effective adoptions. They’ve cultivated a team of Foster parents, to care for the dogs as they wait to be adopted, including many Fosters who have ultimately adopted their dogs.

Ironically, it took Martie Petrie one of the co-founders losing one of her dogs for rescue dogs to bring the idea of creating Ken-Mar Rescue.

When one of Martie’s Pomeranians, the frailest, skinniest and deaf, Moxie, got loose the reality of losing a dog to the “system” became all too real. After posting “lost dog” signs, Martie moved her search to a list of 18 dog places in the Silver Lake area. One such place was a pet store with an overriding holistic spirit. The owner recommended that Martie immediately visit a shelter in the area. The owner was so insistent and spoke with such conviction that Martie went directly to that shelter.

It was there, among crates of dogs with high-end collars and tags, that Martie discovered most shelters were not even trying to reconnect dogs with their owners. When she asked for help from the staff, to find Moxie, she was told “Your dog ain’t here.” Undeterred, she went cage by cage, for two and a half hours, searching for her dog. She showed every person at the shelter a picture of Moxie and finally, the one helpful volunteer took her in the back where she found her dog. Moxie had been labeled “defective” because of her deafness and was slated to be euthanatized the following day.

Finding Moxie gave Martie a cause to follow. She signed up as a volunteer at a shelter and discovered that hundreds of dogs are killed each week.

She and Ken created a plan to network, using the Internet, to help find homes for dogs that otherwise could be killed. By focusing on one or two dogs at a time, they could transport the dogs to people & homes where they could “buy time” for the dogs to wait to be adopted.

This gave both Martie & Ken a satisfaction that lead them to file for 501c3 to become a bona fide animal welfare non-profit organization. Ken-Mar Rescue was born.

More about Ken-Mar Rescue . . .

Many owners mistakenly take their pets to shelters because they believe that good homes will be found for all of them. Occasionally that’s true, but too often owner-surrendered pets are kept only two to four days due to lack of shelter space. Strays usually are kept for three to five days before they are euthanized.

When Ken-Mar Rescue saves a dog, each receives a personality and behavioral evaluation and the care, training and the TLC it needs and deserves. They work hard to find the proper homes for all of our pets, and stand behind them and their new owners for the rest of the pet’s life.

Many of Ken-Mar Rescue’s dogs need-and receive-veterinary care.

From nail trims to extensive surgery, Ken-Mar Rescue provides all needed care to all of their dogs. Not surprisingly, the monthly veterinary bills are overwhelming. Your tax deductible donations are desperately needed to help us save and care for as many dogs as possible. Our ultimate goal is to become obsolete, but until that utopian day arrives when animal shelters can be safe places of refuge, we will strive to give a future to as many needy pets as possible.

Ken-Mar Rescue is a 501c3, non-profit, small dog rescue. We are foster-based, cage-fee, and donor supported. We rescue, rehabilitate and rehome "last day" dogs that would otherwise be euthanized. We offer adoptions throughout Southern California and beyond.

Ken-Mar Rescue's mission is to save neglected small dogs and introduce them to their forever families. Ken-Mar Rescue depends on donors, foster parents, volunteers and fundraisers to continue its life-saving work.

Come out and play! To meet our Adorable Adoptables: