Know Your Neighbor: Lori Canale, Co-founder, Ruff Start Rescue, Pleasantville
Lori Canale isn’t kidding when she says that dogs are her entire life.
Well, maybe it’s a bit of an exaggeration–but not much. Canale is the co-founder of Ruff Start Rescue, a non-profit organization she helped start last year that is dedicated to rescuing and finding homes for dogs that would likely be euthanized in shelters.
“To make a difference like that, even if you’re saving one dog at a time, you’re saving a life,” Canale said.
Canale and her co-founders, Ava Pillinger and Ann Marie Lehmann, officially launched Ruff Start Rescue on April 1, 2011. They find homes for dogs from New York City and throughout the south who are days and sometimes hours away from being put down. They arrange for transport and help families to adopt. Those dogs that Canale acquires where homes aren’t immediately located are housed at Northwind Kennel in Bedford. Available dogs are also listed on the organization’s website, www.ruffstartrescueny.org.
“There are literally thousands of dogs that die every day because people don’t spay or neuter, primarily in the south,” said Canale who works with a sister organization in the Atlanta area. “They let their dogs wander about. They don’t necessarily regard their animals like we do. Our animals are part of the family.”
Canale, 52, said while she and her Ruff Start Rescue founders have long been involved in rescue efforts, the need to organize these operations is as great as ever. Some rescues have also folded in recent years placing a greater burden on those that remain. The challenges are daunting as are the costs.
“It’s a very hard–I don’t want to call it a business–but it’s a very hard project to undertake because you’re always struggling for money and you’re always struggling for volunteers,” said Canale, a Pleasantville resident.
During the first nine months of its operation, Ruff Start Rescue saw about 250 rescued dogs placed in homes. Since Jan. 1, Canale estimated close to another 100 dogs have been adopted.
While Canale has dedicated countless hours to rescuing dogs while trying to help operate her family-run businesses–her father was a builder–it’s not all that surprising that she has donated so much of her time to this cause. She grew up in Edgemont, part of a dog-loving family, which almost always had room for a cat as well. Caring for pets from a young age not only provided Canale with a lifelong love of animals but taught her responsibility as well, she said.
“I really think that anyone who doesn’t raise their children with some type of pet–cat, dog, something that they can interact with and learn how to be responsible for and care for is really giving them a disadvantage,” said Canale, who in her spare time likes to travel.
Her residence is typically filled with several larger dogs. Currently she has four, including three Golden Retrievers and a lab mix. Throw in her cat and she’s got a full house.
“It’s my whole life. I love dogs,” said Canale, who’s divorced and has two grown children, a 25-year-old daughter and a 23-year-old son. “I love the bigger dogs because I love to go out there and play with them. You can throw a ball. The little ones are cute but they don’t do a lot. The big ones are much more interactive.”
For a volunteer effort, there is a lot of pressure, particularly when it gets busy. There are days where e-mails come streaming in and Canale can get overwhelmed with the requests. There have been a few days that she has to delete those e-mails without opening them.
The demand to adopt can vary greatly from week to week. Some weeks only one or two dogs go while some busy weeks there have been up to 30 dog adopted.
Despite the hard work, Canale finds that there’s nothing more gratifying then seeing a dog that you helped save when he or she is ready to go to their new home.
“These dogs know it. They know you saved them. They just do. They know you saved them,” she said. “You can just see it in their eyes, the gratefulness. It’s amazing. ”
For those who want to volunteer, donate money or adopt, visit www.ruffstartrescueny.org.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
