Every rescue has a beginning — ours started with Charlotte.

Charlotte came into our founder’s life as a foster from the local shelter, a mama dog with puppies and a heart full of hope. But when the time came to return her, it became clear that Charlotte was headed back to a dangerous and unstable situation.

Faced with an impossible choice, our founder made the only decision that felt right — she pivoted from fostering to rescuing, and Charlotte became the very first official pull of what would become Fosters & Paws.

That was just months before the world shut down due to COVID, plunging the animal rescue world into an unprecedented chaos. Shelters became overwhelmed, resources were stretched thin, and the need continued to grow at an exponential rate beyond imagination.

But we stood firm and since that pivotal moment, we’ve continued to fight for the ones who have no voice — working toward a future where every animal is spayed or neutered, and every dog knows the love and safety of a home.

Charlotte’s story was just the beginning. The mission lives on in every life we save.