Today we’d like to introduce you to Elaine Sellers.
Elaine, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
In December of 2014, my family lost our beloved dog “Pumpkin” of 14 years. While you always know the day will come, the grief of losing the family pet you grew up with is a unique pain. I had moved out of my parent’s home a year prior to a pet-friendly apartment. Though my fiance Rory and I were not ready to commit to our own dog yet, we decided to foster a dog in need. Coincidentally, the local dog groomer (where Pumpkin was a loyal patron) posted a picture of a yellow lab mix in need of a foster 2 days after Christmas. I called the number and talked to a local volunteer about what to expect.
I learned that Cameo was a Puerto Rican street dog, rescued from “death row” in an overcrowded kill shelter. Up until then, I had no idea that Puerto Rico had such an uncontrolled abandoned dog population, and that so little was being done to help or raise awareness. When my dad and I picked up Cameo, he simply rested his head against my dad’s chest and allowed us to pet and hug him though we knew he was terrified and exhausted. Needless to say, Cameo instantly found his forever home with my parents!
After that, we were all hooked. I continued to foster, and when we kept all of our foster pups (oops!), we invited friends to begin fostering too. By the time April of 2017 came around, I had dozens of people messaging me every day asking how to adopt pups from us! That’s when we decided to do this legitimately; we hired a lawyer, a CPA, and filed for our 501(c)(3) non-profit status. On December 27th, 2017, exactly 3 years after we first picked up Cameo, we were approved.
Since then, we have grown significantly: leasing our own office space, building our own isolation facility that adheres to state regulations, partnered with the VCA North Main St. Vet Clinic, had our first fundraiser, and successfully adopted out over 250 once abandoned pups into loving forever homes.
Has it been a smooth road?
Oh goodness, nothing in dog rescue is ever smooth! Some of the biggest struggles came after hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico. My rescue partners I work with, who live on the island, were unreachable for weeks.
Embargoes on commercial airlines prevented us from flying our rescues off the island for months. Meanwhile, families in PR who had to evacuate were forced to leave their dogs behind, making the abandoned dog population further explode. Charter flights cost thousands to plan and were nearly impossible to count on. Those months were some of the toughest because we all felt so powerless.
Aside from the expected struggles when doing rescue work, I think the biggest personal struggle has also been managing my expectations of myself. I was never a “type A” person; never a planner, and hardly ever organized.
Rescue work forces you to be all of those things, and so much more. Many people think my job is playing with puppies all day. I joke and say “if I do my job correctly, I never have to because they all find homes!” The demands in this line of work are always evolving, you have to be willing to evolve with them.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Stray Love Found – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Stray Love Found is a Massachusetts based 501(c)(3) non-profit dog rescue, which focuses on the rehabilitation and rehoming of abandoned pups both locally and in Puerto Rico. The rapport we have built over the years with our PR partners is honest, open, and respectful. Truly, they are my “soul sisters” and best friends that I have yet to meet in person! Because of this connection, many times we are able to connect our adopters to the exact people who rescued their pup. We often call ourselves “the bridge”, connecting our happy endings (forever families) to pup’s beginning; because our PR partners love and work just as hard to make sure these dogs have the best chance at a better life.
I’m incredibly proud of not only that connection, but of all, we are able to offer with each pup we adopt out. From a free post-adoption vet visit to 30 days of free pet insurance, up to date vaccine records, training classes with certified dog trainers, to a care package with pup’s first leash, collar, toy, current food, treats, and so much more. The ability to include everything we do is thanks to our incredible community we’ve gained over the years.
That is what sets us apart; you are not only adopting your new best friend from us, but also an extended family of involved past adopters too! We prioritize post-adoption support and are always available to help ANY of our past adopters and pups. Even though we are at hundreds of dogs homed, I can still remember and name every single one. It is so important to us that our adopters understand and commit to keeping us up to date on their pup because we give so much as rescuers to bring them home.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love Boston’s forward-thinking mentality and ability to evolve. Over the years, it’s given me so much hope to see pet shops slowly fade away, while more and more people proudly choose to rescue their best friend instead of buying one.
The city of Boston is a city of compassion; we saw that so clearly after the marathon bombing, and more recently with the tragic loss of officer Chesna. Our local mindful community allows for awareness to be raised and positive change to happen.
My least favorite thing about our city has to be the same as everyone’s; the traffic!
Getting to and from the airport is the bane of my existence. For my rescue pups from Puerto Rico, I plan to make that trip weekly!
Contact Info:
- Address: 1000 Main Street Unit #107 Hanson, MA 02341
- Website: www.straylovefound.org
- Email: team@straylovefound.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Straylovefound/
Image Credit:
Rory O’Neill
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
