Nate’s ‘Journey Home’ Nears Completion

The $12 million project will transform a pet rescue center into a world-class haven for dogs and cats.

BY MARK GORDON | CONTRIBUTOR

Rob and Dari Oglesby have long loved dogs. The couple has had dogs and volunteered at dog shelters for years. Their daughter took a photography class when she was 10 years old. Her muse for her photos? Dogs.

The Oglesbys are also leading advocates for the safe adoption of dogs and cats in East County through their role overseeing Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue. Rob is the development and fundraising director, while Dari is executive director of the nonprofit, which says its goal is to “provide a loving haven for rescued dogs and cats on their way to finding their forever homes.” The organization had net assets of $4.3 million in its most recent fiscal year, according to public tax filings.

“Our overall mission is to change people’s views on shelter animals, one family at a time,” Rob Oglesby says. “It’s not something that has to be horrible or negative. It can be fun.”

That mission, Oglesby and Nate’s board of fellow animal lovers believe, requires a larger, reimagined space that, in turn, requires a significant investment. That’s why Oglesby is at the helm of a $12 million transformation of Nate’s. The expansion — it will double the facility’s capacity, to 117 dogs and 60 cats — has a variety of components, most of which stick to a family-friendly,

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