Big Dog Ranch Rescue Where Dogs Get A New Lease On Life
By Mike May
Over the last decade, Big Dog Ranch Rescue has found a home for more than 31,000 dogs, but founder Lauree Simmons clearly recalls her first canine client back in 2008. It was a lab mix named Angel, who was pregnant, homeless and living under a tree in Miami. Two days later, Angel gave birth to 10 puppies in Simmons’ garage. In many respects, Angel is the “acorn” that blossomed into the tree now known as the Big Dog Ranch Rescue. Today, Big Dog Ranch Rescue is dedicated to rescuing and providing a happy, safe and loving home for dogs while providing families with healthy, loving and loyal canine companions. Located on 33 acres in Loxahatchee Groves, the
rescue is a cage-free setting. In fact, it is the largest cage-free, no-kill shelter in the U.S. “We have built a happy environment for dogs,” explained Robin Friedman, Big Dog Ranch Rescue’s director of development. “Our focus is rescue. We save dogs from shelters that are on the list to be euthanized, and we accept owner-surrender dogs. We also try to find homes for rescue dogs by network-
Big Dog founder Lauree Simmons.
ing with other shelters like us.” At Big Dog Ranch Rescue, dogs are saved and then given a new lease on life. While the organization’s name
(Left) A look at the play yard at Big Dog Ranch Rescue. (Right) Puppies go for a dip in the pool.
wellington the magazine | september 2019
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