Building Lifesaving Partnerships: Learn About Ruff Start Rescue’s Lone Star to North Star Program
Ruff Start Rescue’s Lone Star to North Star Rescue Relief Program is dedicated to creating a lasting, positive impact in Texas. In this state, even healthy and well-behaved animals face the risk of euthanasia. In 2023 alone, over 83,000 pets were euthanized in the state, highlighting the urgent need for rescue and transport efforts—causes we are deeply committed to.
Last year, Ruff Start Rescue saved 663 animals from Texas, bringing our total rescue efforts in the state to over 4,435 since 2018. Among these, 677 dogs were heartworm positive—a group that presents additional challenges for placement due to the extended treatment required.
How does Ruff Start Rescue select their partner organizations?
At Ruff Start Rescue, we build partnerships naturally and organically. Some originate through referrals from groups we already work with, while others reach out to us directly, and some have been partnered with us for 8+ years. We also connect with newer organizations as our network grows. Proximity to Houston is key for us, as it’s where our transport and our veterinary partners are located. We focus on forming relationships with organizations that share our values, working together to create mutually beneficial partnerships. With fewer of our fosters in Houston, it’s incredibly helpful when a rescue has their own foster network to care for dogs until transport.
What are the hallmarks of a good partnership?
Honesty is our top priority. If partners are dishonest about the dogs we’re taking, we won’t continue to pull from them. In return, their honesty earns our transparency—we share key updates about how the dogs are doing in Minnesota, including if a dog isn’t settling in well, ends up in boarding, develops new medical issues, etc. We also share positive updates and encourage partners to send connection letters to help link them with future fosters and adopters.
Communication is key as transport moves quickly. Partners are asked to provide us with stats, photos, and bio information promptly to secure a spot on the transport roster. Understanding how our program works and providing us with this information upfront significantly increases the likelihood of their dogs going foster-to-adopt in Minnesota. We want to work with partners who can have honest conversations about a dog’s limitations and whether we’re the best fit for a positive outcome. Behavioral or medical issues don’t automatically mean a dog is not a good match, but the more information we have, the better our decision-making will be.
We have extensive communication with our partners to secure around 60 dogs per month, and we truly value the amazing people we collaborate with. Building a new partnership is like dating—it’s about figuring out how each other works, and whether you share the same goals. It’s perfectly okay for some partners to only have an occasional fit for us. If they don’t typically have the type of animals we’re looking for, but need help with one, we’re happy to take in just one dog a year if it’s a good partnership.
Do you provide any guidance/mentorship to your partner org and/or send down supplies etc. when you pick up animals?
Absolutely! We work with a diverse range of partner organizations, from larger, more established rescues that need less support, to smaller or more rural groups that are always looking for ways to improve efficiency and reduce costs. We’re always happy to share our knowledge and processes with anyone who asks. For example, our partner Wharton County SPOT has successfully adopted many of our practices, such as a foster-to-adopt program, using volunteer photographers for better quality pictures, and implementing bio forms for fosters. We believe assisting other organizations also strengthens our relationships, benefitting everyone involved. Additionally, we ship supplies to our fosters in Texas whenever they need them and contribute to vetting costs for our partner organizations to help support them financially.
How does your community feel about out-of-state animals coming in?
The majority of our community is incredibly supportive of our Lone Star to North Star efforts. For those who aren’t, we focus on education to help them understand the stark differences between animal welfare and shelter populations in Texas and Minnesota. While most of our animals are from Minnesota—and will continue to be—our commitment at Ruff Start Rescue extends far beyond our own backyard. We firmly believe we can continue supporting our local community while also helping others in need.
The animals we pull from out of state often face little to no competition for local adopters. Our goal is to carefully select dogs that enhance and diversify the adoption pool, appealing to as many people as possible. While these dogs may not be local, they are still helping the pet overpopulation issue as a whole.
We are grateful for the many who support our Lone Star to North Star Rescue Relief Program, and help continue the mission to save as many lives as we can.
Building Lifesaving Partnerships: Learn About Ruff Start Rescue’s Lone Star to North Star Program
Posted: March 7, 2025 by Kelli Hanson
Building Lifesaving Partnerships: Learn About Ruff Start Rescue’s Lone Star to North Star Program
Ruff Start Rescue’s Lone Star to North Star Rescue Relief Program is dedicated to creating a lasting, positive impact in Texas. In this state, even healthy and well-behaved animals face the risk of euthanasia. In 2023 alone, over 83,000 pets were euthanized in the state, highlighting the urgent need for rescue and transport efforts—causes we are deeply committed to.
Last year, Ruff Start Rescue saved 663 animals from Texas, bringing our total rescue efforts in the state to over 4,435 since 2018. Among these, 677 dogs were heartworm positive—a group that presents additional challenges for placement due to the extended treatment required.
How does Ruff Start Rescue select their partner organizations?
At Ruff Start Rescue, we build partnerships naturally and organically. Some originate through referrals from groups we already work with, while others reach out to us directly, and some have been partnered with us for 8+ years. We also connect with newer organizations as our network grows. Proximity to Houston is key for us, as it’s where our transport and our veterinary partners are located. We focus on forming relationships with organizations that share our values, working together to create mutually beneficial partnerships. With fewer of our fosters in Houston, it’s incredibly helpful when a rescue has their own foster network to care for dogs until transport.
What are the hallmarks of a good partnership?
Honesty is our top priority. If partners are dishonest about the dogs we’re taking, we won’t continue to pull from them. In return, their honesty earns our transparency—we share key updates about how the dogs are doing in Minnesota, including if a dog isn’t settling in well, ends up in boarding, develops new medical issues, etc. We also share positive updates and encourage partners to send connection letters to help link them with future fosters and adopters.
Communication is key as transport moves quickly. Partners are asked to provide us with stats, photos, and bio information promptly to secure a spot on the transport roster. Understanding how our program works and providing us with this information upfront significantly increases the likelihood of their dogs going foster-to-adopt in Minnesota. We want to work with partners who can have honest conversations about a dog’s limitations and whether we’re the best fit for a positive outcome. Behavioral or medical issues don’t automatically mean a dog is not a good match, but the more information we have, the better our decision-making will be.
We have extensive communication with our partners to secure around 60 dogs per month, and we truly value the amazing people we collaborate with. Building a new partnership is like dating—it’s about figuring out how each other works, and whether you share the same goals. It’s perfectly okay for some partners to only have an occasional fit for us. If they don’t typically have the type of animals we’re looking for, but need help with one, we’re happy to take in just one dog a year if it’s a good partnership.
Do you provide any guidance/mentorship to your partner org and/or send down supplies etc. when you pick up animals?
Absolutely! We work with a diverse range of partner organizations, from larger, more established rescues that need less support, to smaller or more rural groups that are always looking for ways to improve efficiency and reduce costs. We’re always happy to share our knowledge and processes with anyone who asks. For example, our partner Wharton County SPOT has successfully adopted many of our practices, such as a foster-to-adopt program, using volunteer photographers for better quality pictures, and implementing bio forms for fosters. We believe assisting other organizations also strengthens our relationships, benefitting everyone involved. Additionally, we ship supplies to our fosters in Texas whenever they need them and contribute to vetting costs for our partner organizations to help support them financially.
How does your community feel about out-of-state animals coming in?
The majority of our community is incredibly supportive of our Lone Star to North Star efforts. For those who aren’t, we focus on education to help them understand the stark differences between animal welfare and shelter populations in Texas and Minnesota. While most of our animals are from Minnesota—and will continue to be—our commitment at Ruff Start Rescue extends far beyond our own backyard. We firmly believe we can continue supporting our local community while also helping others in need.
The animals we pull from out of state often face little to no competition for local adopters. Our goal is to carefully select dogs that enhance and diversify the adoption pool, appealing to as many people as possible. While these dogs may not be local, they are still helping the pet overpopulation issue as a whole.
We are grateful for the many who support our Lone Star to North Star Rescue Relief Program, and help continue the mission to save as many lives as we can.
Rescue Knows No Zip Code
Category: Texas