At Ruff Start Rescue, we believe every animal deserves safety, compassion, and the opportunity to thrive.
As one of Minnesota’s leading foster-based rescues, we connect animals in need with loving foster homes, quality veterinary care, and families ready to provide lifelong homes. At the same time, we support pet owners with resources and services that help keep pets healthy, safe, and with the people who love them.
Our work goes beyond rescue. We strive to build stronger communities where both animals and people can succeed.
We are dedicated to saving the lives of animals in need. We improve animal welfare in communities through adoption, education, and providing resources for people and pets.
We strive for a world where every companion animal has a safe and loving forever home—and their family has the knowledge and resources needed to give them the life they deserve.
Our values guide how we care for animals, support people, and work together as an organization and community.
We have a strong sense of empathy for companion animals that fuels our passion to prevent and alleviate suffering. We place the highest value on the animal/human connection and are driven to create positive outcomes even for the hardest of cases.
We strive to provide a high level of service for all animals, adopters, volunteers, and donors through responsible communication and action. We maintain a results-focused perspective.
We form relationships with the community to achieve common goals while providing access to resources and education.
We listen and respond to community needs with flexibility while remaining on the cusp of trends in animal welfare while exploring new approaches.
We communicate humbly, honestly, and openly while striving for the utmost transparency with our supporters, volunteers, fosters, staff and beneficiaries.
The animals who come to Ruff Start Rescue arrive through many different paths, from owner surrenders and shelter partnerships to transport and community support programs. This chart highlights the sources of the animals who entered our care and the many ways they found their way to us.
While intake and other data helps tell part of our story, it represents something much greater: lives saved, families supported, and stronger communities built through compassion and care.
Every path into rescue has a story behind it, and often reflects a larger need within the animal welfare system or the community.
That need has shaped Ruff Start Rescue from the beginning. Explore our timeline below to see how our organization has grown and evolved to meet it.
The Ruff Start Rescue story began in 2010, when Azure Davis saw a dog named Hope living in a shelter in Ohio. Hope, a sweet pitty mix, was heartworm positive, emaciated, and nearly out of time. Feeling a tug in her heart, Davis knew she needed to act quickly to save Hope’s life.
Through collaboration, generosity, and perseverance, Hope safely made it to Minnesota. Her journey marked the start of Ruff Start Rescue, a foster-based 501(c)(3) organization fueled by passionate volunteers and donors committed to making more rescue tales like Hope’s possible.
Our history is built one animal, one person, and one act of compassion at a time.
Ruff Start Rescue was founded by Azure Davis after she stepped in to save Hope, an emaciated pitbull mix in an Ohio shelter. What started with a $26,800 operating budget became a commitment to show up for animals in need, no matter the circumstances.
Adoptions: 106 | Intakes: 145
We hosted our first community wellness clinic, providing discounted veterinary care for families needing extra support. We also launched early education efforts to build a stronger future for animal welfare.
Adoptions: 700 | Intakes: 765
Ruff Start Rescue began offering low-cost feline spay/neuter services along with free feral and barn cat surgeries. These programs helped prevent future litters while improving outcomes for cats across our communities.
Adoptions: 1,113 | Intakes: 1,072
We grew to eight paid staff members and secured a $25,000 grant to support low-income and free cat spay/neuter surgeries, ensuring more families could access the care their pets needed.
Adoptions: 1,275 | Intakes: 1,215
Ruff Start Rescue moved into our current 5,400 sq. ft. Princeton facility, giving our organization the space and stability to grow our foster-based rescue model and serve more animals in need.
Adoptions: 1,616 | Intakes: 1,681
With 500 volunteers onboarded, we expanded our lifesaving capacity and introduced in-house vetting services. We also partnered with Greater Good Charities to build office “catios,” increasing our ability to safely care for more cats. Ruff Start Rescue surpassed a $1,000,000 operating budget that year, reflecting a growing community of support.
Adoptions: 1,941 | Intakes: 2,048
At our 8th annual community wellness clinic, 502 pets received discounted veterinary care. We also began Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) surgeries, helping reduce overpopulation and improve long-term outcomes for community cats.
Adoptions: 2,446 | Intakes: 2,574
Ruff Start Rescue trademarked the Lone Star to North Star Rescue Relief program and purchased our first transport van, strengthening our ability to respond when animals needed help beyond state lines. Founder Azure Davis was also named “Young Professional of the Year” by the Elk River Chamber of Commerce.
Adoptions: 3,294 | Intakes: 3,305
A $100,000 Pedigree grant helped us grow our matchmaking adoption efforts so more animals could be placed in homes that were the right fit. We also expanded key transport partnerships, including Best Friends Arkansas.
Adoptions: 2,724 | Intakes: 2,875
We grew to 36 paid staff members and hosted our first annual Community Giveback Day. We also raised a record $220,000 on Give to the Max Day, helping fund lifesaving rescue and support services throughout the year.
Adoptions: 3,217 | Intakes: 3,296
Ruff Start Rescue expanded our Princeton facility by 1,200 sq. ft., strengthened key partnerships, and raised a record $279,000 on Give to the Max Day. Every step forward helped increase our capacity to serve more animals in need and the people who care for them.
Adoptions: 3,492 | Intakes: 3,665
Now one of Minnesota’s leading foster-based rescues, we:
We’re building a compassionate future for animals and their families by:
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