Good Karma Dog Rescue has certainly lived it’s name and mission – take one look at this dedicated foster based group and you’ll see why we are making them the beneficiaries of our Buy One Give One (BOGO) program from 10/1-10/15.

We first learned about Good Karma Dog Rescue through our Underdog to Hero Photo Contest in June when Jenna, the 2nd place finisher, submitted photos of her adopted GKDR dog, Odin. We wanted to acknowledge her impressive results from sharing Odin’s story and do something to celebrate GKDR, so we gave them the time period from 10/1 to 10/15 to have a PBC collar and leash drive.

GKDR describes themselves as beginning “with a vision of education, support and love with a strong belief that what goes around, comes around. We are a community of animal lovers with a focus on doing what is right and making a difference!” We asked their volunteers some questions about GKDR to get people familiar with their group. We know you will be inspired to support them after you take a read below!

What is involved in keeping your rescue going?

Good Karma Dog Rescue (GKDR) is a volunteer based, registered non-profit rescue organization in New Jersey (EIN#: 47-5080441). The animals brought into GKDR’s care have a variety of backgrounds. Some of our dogs have been surrendered by their owners due to difficult family situations; others have been severely neglected or make their way to GKDR via high kill shelters. Without the time and energy of our volunteers, our supporters, and of course our families, we would not be able to do what we do successfully. We have foster homes scattered between New York City and Philadelphia, where we currently care for 15 dogs that are up for adoption. The rescue was founded in 2015 and since then, we have been able to successfully placed 212 dogs in loving homes!

We are focused on providing high quality homes to dogs in need. We do everything we can to prepare our rescue dogs for their new forever families. We fight against breed stereotypes, educate the public on prevention of animal cruelty, animal behavior and training, and the importance of spaying/neutering.

What are some of the things your group is known for?

Good Karma Dog Rescue is known for not only going above and beyond for the dogs in our care, we are also known for standing by our foster families and our adopters. We believe that an adoption doesn’t end when a contract is signed. When you adopt a dog from us, you become part of our family and will have our support, guidance and friendship for life. We focus mainly on local rescue, trying to keep the shelter numbers down as best we can, and we take in dogs of all ages, breeds, and sizes. We are very proud that we are able to help senior and adult dogs and not just puppies.

Describe some of the more challenging moments in rescue and how you/the other volunteers got through it.

Some of the more challenging moments in rescue come when we bring in a dog that has been through trauma or has a disability. Working with dogs that need special medications, therapy, or even training, requires a lot of patience, time, and unfortunately, a lot of money. We have incredible supporters that always give when they can, and are lucky to work with even more incredible team of veterinarians and animal care professionals. We have had a few high profile dogs that were part of animal cruelty investigations that really shook us to our core. The range of emotions that we experience can be overwhelming at times. The Good Karma community always comes together to support one another and pick us up when we are down, raise us higher when we are celebrating, and is there as a shoulder to cry on when we need it.

It is also difficult when we have a dog in the rescue that requires a home without any other pets. Often foster dogs that don’t do well with others are in the rescue longer, which means that we would not have a place to potentially bring in another dog. We do not put our dogs into boarding facilities and truly believe in quality care over the quantity of dogs we adopt out. We make sure that we take things slow and do what is right for the dogs even though it can be frustrating.

What is the most rewarding part about rescuing? What would you say to others who are considering fostering or volunteering for a group like yours? 

The most rewarding part about rescuing is watching the transformation that can only come from love and kindness. We have been given a chance to actually save lives. Taking a dog that is terrified, dirty, hungry, and scared, out of a shelter, away from a neglectful owner, or out of an abusive situation, can be equally upsetting as it is rewarding. From the moment you begin giving it love and  showing it kindness, it sparks a glimmer of hope in their eyes. They begin to open up and trust. It is the most rewarding feeling, although at times bittersweet, to be able to say goodbye to your foster dog as they begin the next chapter of their life as an adopted member of a new family. Knowing that you played a part in bringing such happiness to the dog, as well as to the dog’s new family, is a feeling unlike any other. It is truly a very special experience to be part of.

Let us know anything else you’d like to share with us.

Here is a link to a video highlighting our first year: https://youtu.be/kBLhYGl1UYA and another one our pup, Slater, trying out his new set of wheels for the first time, made by our friend Carly Blake at PunkRox Productions https://youtu.be/Gml5UaBfwgs

From 10/1-10/15, items in our BOGO collection will be matched and donated to GKDR. Please help us help them get stocked up on leashes and collars. You can also donate your purchase to GKDR and they’ll get double of whatever you order. Just let us know at check out! Get started NOW!