Episode 58. Forever Home: How Danny & Ron Created a Haven for Rescued Dogs - and Each Other

I first started following Danny & Ron’s Rescue back in 2018 when I saw the documentary about them called Life in the Doghouse. So it was a complete joy to have the opportunity to speak with them about their new book Forever Home: How We Turned Our House into a Haven for Abandoned, Abused and Misunderstood Dogs - and Each Other.

Forever Home is such an honest and vulnerable share of the ups & downs that Danny and Ron have experienced in life and in rescue. I think so many Pet Parents will find a piece of themselves in Danny & Ron’s story as it’s a universal experience for our dogs to help us through everything from illnesses to grief.

Of course it’s not as universal of an experience to have 100+ dogs living in your house at any given time! After rescuing more than 600 dogs from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Danny & Ron formalized their long-standing rescue efforts into an official organization and have now gone on to find loving home for 14,000+ dogs. But unlike many rescues which rely on foster homes or kennels to house adoptable dogs, Danny & Ron are unique in that all the dogs in their rescue live with them in their home.

From how they gain the trust of the most traumatized dogs to finding the best homes for their dogs, we learn what it means to be a Danny & Ron’s Dog. Danny & Ron share about the hardest part of running a rescue, how their lives changed after the documentary and all about the famous singer who has become a personal friend of theirs after learning about the amazing work of Danny & Ron’s Rescue. From Ukraine to Australia to Aruba, Danny & Ron also tell us about the people, causes and organizations around the world that they help support.

I can’t help but think that the world would be a better place if we had more Dannys and Rons in it.

Danny, Ron & I discuss:

Their childhood experiences with dogs and horses;
How our animals help us through hard times;
Rescuing 27 dogs from a local shelter that was being closed;
The role of Hurricane Katrina in formalizing Danny & Ron’s Rescue;
Modifying their home to accommodate so many dogs;
What does it mean to be a Danny & Ron’s Rescue dog?;
Gaining the trust of fearful dogs;
Danny’s big medical scare and how dogs help us through illnesses;
The hardest part of running a rescue;
What is Danny & Ron’s adoption process?
How Danny & Ron became friends with a famous singer and how she supports the work of the rescue;
How the Life in the Doghouse documentary happened;
The many amazing causes and organizations that Danny & Ron support