In 2015, two of my college friends, Sam and Elizabeth, and I drove down to Houston, Texas on a whim. Our goal? Rescue a litter of 7 puppies. On that first trip, so many things went wrong. I was 20 years old, naïve, and just wanted to help dogs. I had no idea that in different parts of the country, the conditions for dogs were brutal. When we arrived in Houston, we saw dozens of dogs walking along city streets and when we arrived at the shelter, there was a line at the front door for people trying to surrender their dogs. The shelter was overcrowded and there were dozens of rescue groups in the South trying to make a difference, but needing partners in Northern states to help. At the time, I had been working in a shelter in Wisconsin. Things were different at our shelter; many of our kennels sat open waiting for dogs. Naturally, it made sense to start helping in the South. Seeing overcrowding first hand woke me up and I immediately jumped into wanting to do everything and anything I could to help. In that first year, I went to Texas 6 times to rescue dogs. But looking back, I was taking on too much. I had lit the candle at both ends and was burning myself out. I was a full time college student, working at a shelter in Wisconsin, trying to rescue dogs across the country and was still learning about myself as I came into early adulthood. I was tired, frustrated, and overwhelmed with not being able to do enough. I was trying to rescue as many dogs as I could, while learning as much as I could, and building a team. Something had to give. When I started the rescue, it was my goal to build a place that was focused on positivity, inclusion, transparency, and education. But you cannot do anything by yourself. Our team started to attract some amazing foster homes and volunteers and together we were able to build a rescue with that early vision in mind. Lucky 7 was founded by me, but it was built by all of us. In the last few years especially, I have been able to watch our incredible team take parts of the rescue and put their own perspective on it-watering those early roots and helping it grow. That team is what created the rescue you see today. As we approach our 6th year as a rescue, we have built a team that I am unbelievably proud of- one that saves dogs while uplifting one another. Rescue tends to appeal to compassionate people and compassion fatigue is real! It is far too easy to find yourself headed down a rabbit hole, but having a team that can advocate for one another, dogs, and the community allows us to continue to grow and learn. With continued education we are able to develop ourselves as a team of animal advocates and therefore do better by our dogs and our adopters. Our team focuses on providing a great experience to adopters, while utilizing the adoption process as a way to educate others and create a dog savvy community. In other words- we don’t sugar coat it. We take our time in this process, learning as much as we can about the dogs and what is best for them. That means that the adoption process can take a bit of time, but it is our hope that we are advocating for both the dog and the adopter and doing our very best to find what is best for both of them. We take in dogs from all over the country: from overcrowded shelters down south, from local owners who are in need, or nearby groups who may have a dog they are struggling with. We don’t shy away from health concerns- whether medical or behavioral. However, we continue to operate as an entirely foster based rescue, so in order to take a dog into our program, we must have a suitable foster home. We have adopted out over 1,000 dogs since our founding and in that time we have learned that rescue is about more than just getting a dog in a home- it is about keeping a dog in their home. For that reason, we have recently added several services to our rescue to help adopters after they have found their forever friend. The say it takes a village to raise a child. Well, it takes a pack to raise dogs. This is ours. And we’re glad you’re here.
1. Start by viewing our adoptable dogs at Adoptable Dogs. 2. If there is a pup that sparks your interest, you can fill out an application at Apply Now or email the adoptions team for more information at adoptions@lucky7dogrescue.com. 3. Once the application is received, volunteers will process it within 5 business days. 4. Our adoptions team will then select applications that are the best match for the dog and family. 5. If your application has been approved, a meet and greet will be scheduled with you, the dog you are interested in, and their foster to further determine if it is a good fit. 6. Following the meet and greet, we encourage you to go home and reflect on the meet. 7. Make sure to take time as a family to discuss whether this is truly the perfect situation for your family. 1. There will be a 24 hour mandatory waiting period before you are allowed to take the dog home. 2. When a dog goes home, they become a member of your family. They are an investment- emotionally and financially. It is important to recognize that they will need continued veterinary care, potential training, time, and energy. 8. If all goes well, an appointment will be made to finalize the adoption. There you will finish the appropriate paperwork and be able to take the dog home. Applications can be filled out for pre-approval and will be kept on file for 1 year. However, we do ask that you keep an eye out on adoptable dogs and let us know when someone sparks your interest. Also, in the event you adopt elsewhere- congratulations! We just ask that you let us know so we can remove your application from our waitlist.