Rescued By Love

RESCUEDby As a volunteer with local animal rescue groups, Lindsey Blazevich saw firsthand the number of animals in shelters. She soon discovered that 90 percent of the rescue population were pit bulls. Sadly, only 50 percent of those dogs made it out alive. Blazevich decided she had to help!

BY STEPHANIE PERRAULT

IN SEPTEMBER OF 2014, she founded One Love Pit Bull Foundation with the mission to support, rescue and rehabilitate at-risk dogs, increase shelter adoptions, and provide assistance to families with companion animals in under-resourced communities. In the last eight years, One Love has flourished and now offers a variety of programs and services to at-risk pets and under-resourced families. One of its primary programs is the Shelter Dog program. Through this initiative, the One Love team identifies dogs at the Maricopa County Shelter with the most extended length of stay or who need additional training and medical care. “We do weekly enrichment at the Maricopa County Shelter & Control. We walk the dogs and look for specific needs,” says Dana Close, vice president and chief operating officer. “We’ll sponsor those dogs, promote them on social media and help get them adopted. Since the beginning of the year, we’ve taken in 45 dogs that have been adopted out or are currently still with us,” she says. Although the shelter population is still predominantly pit bulls, they are now seeing more mixed breeds, shepherds and huskies, says Close. One Love works with all of them. In addition to the Shelter Dog program, One Love offers a variety of programs to help families keep their pets rather than surrender them to the shelter. Mutt Manners classes connect trainers with families virtually to help address behavior issues. Pools for Pups provides kiddie pools to families with outdoor pets who need access to water. And the Tag Me Home program offers free ID tags for pets. “Microchips are awesome, but if a dog has a collar [with a tag], people are more apt to pick up a dog, and if animal control sees a tag, they will take them right home,” says Close. Another important initiative is the Spay and Neuter Community Outreach Program. One Love hosts the events every other month at one of the Poverty Pets locations. The group does not advertise on social media but rather through neighborhood flyers so that they can focus on assisting the immediate surrounding area. Since its founding, One Love Pit Bull Foundation has helped 550 shelter dogs find homes and is on track to continue expanding its services and programs to the community. If you are passionate about animals and want to partner with One Love as a foster/adoptive home, volunteer or be a donor, go to www.oneloveaz.org to learn more. Upcoming Events: Party for the Paws Annual Fundraiser, Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022; at FABRIC (Fashion and Business Resource Innovation Center), Tempe. • www.oneloveaz.org, @onelovearizona