Benny Josephs was homeless, a cardboard box his only shelter. One of the few bright spots in his life was his dog, a pit bull terrier named Iron Head. Josephs and Iron Head were camping out near Modernica Inc., a furniture company in Los Angeles, California. One day, Lori Weise, a manager at Modernica, crossed their path. That's the day Josephs and Iron Head's live changed for the better. And it was the day that Weise found her mission. "I was so impressed with how the two were really one, " Weise says of Josephs and Iron head. "Iron Head was never on a leash and never strayed too far from Benny's sight."
Weise founded Downtown Dog Rescue in 1996 to provide resources for homeless people with dogs living on Los Angeles' Skid Row, helping them to spay and neuter, vaccinate, license and microchip their dogs. Downtown Dog Rescue provides care for the dogs, including food and medical services, and works closely with animal control agencies, homeless outreach workers and mental health-care professionals to improve the lives of both homeless people and their dogs.
"My goals are fairly simple: to offer services to those who need it most in a compassionate and thoughtful way that makes sense to the community we are serving," Weise says.
Downtown Dog Rescue helps keep dogs out of shelters, promoting retention through free dog training and support for common behavioral challenges. Weise operaes a kennel in downtown Los Angeles that serves as a rehabilitation center for dogs in the program. Modernica Inc. donates the kennel space.
Since its beginning, Weise's nonprofit all-volunteer organization has rescued, rehabilitated and adopted out more than 3,000 dogs, mostly pit bull terriers. Weise says her greatest inspiration is her pack of rescued dogs.
"Watching 20 dogs-is the biggest reward," Weise says. "I'm also constantly inspired by the challenges that a lot of homeless men and women face and how they are able to overcome the problem and advance in the recovery process. It's truly amazing and humbling to be part of."
Lorie Weise, founder.
Story by Sandy Miller
Courtesy of http://www.oregonpetguide.info/
"The Greatness Of A Nation And Its Moral Progress Can Be Judged By The Way Its Animals Are Treated." Gandhi
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