Our Mission
Living the Dream Rescue’s Mission is to offer rescue, foster and adoption solutions for companion animals most in need.
Why we're different
Living The Dream Rescue is created and managed by people who care deeply for animals. We don't just want to save them, we love them, and we want to help them find lifelong happiness.
Our staff and fosters give endlessly from their own pockets to ensure that our furry friends are cared for and comfortable up to and even post adoption.
Details and Programs
Living the Dream Rescue provides adoption services in many forms. We work to find forever homes for special needs animals such as; chronic medical, Cerebellar Hypoplaysia, amputees, animals with deformed legs (twisties), FIV+ felines and animals needing behavioral work.
Our special placement programs include: Fungus Friends, Sam’s Senior Dog’s, Animals for Servicemen, and Advanced placement programs. We also work with organizations to host events that help educate the public about animal adoption.
All animals are to be fixed and vaccinated prior to adoption.
At Living the Dream Rescue, we focus on taking in animals who are most in need around the state and the Southwest. We have partnerships with animal control entities as well as the Arizona Humane Society to bring animals into rescue, many that have no chance of making it out of an open intake facility alive.
Our rescue programs include; Homer’s Cottage (special needs animals), Mommy and Me Nursery, and Hope for Medical Animals.
Every animal we intake has a dedicated foster who has agreed to house that animal until adopted. We utilize off site veterinary clinics for medical treatment and surgical services, and we are partnered with local veterinarians and veterinary industry professionals to keep costs as low as possible while increasing the care provided.
Adoption Event Schedule
The Dream Team Leaders
Samantha Brown
President and Founder
Samantha has always had a love for animals. Even from a very young age she gravitated towards animals. She bottle fed her first litter of kittens in second grade. Her mother, Donna Turner, thought it would be great to show her kids the value of giving back and it quickly became a lifestyle for their family. Samantha combined her passion for animals, veterinary medicine and business management/accounting as the foundation for Living the Dream Rescue. Living the Dream Rescue was founded in August of 2017 to bring together a Dream Team of volunteers! Living the Dream Rescue gets its name from a vision to create every animals Dream space, more like an upscale pet spa as a shelter idea. Eventually she would like to see Living the Dream Foundation born to help support local rescue and international disaster relief efforts.
Treasurer
Denise Krause
Secretary
Denise came late in life to animal rescue. In 2005, she found a tiny kitten and she tried to find a rescue to take him. That is when she realized that the rescues were very busy and the rescue community needed one more volunteer! She joined Living the Dream Rescue in its early days and tries to help other volunteers with her 15 years of experience. She is also an avid crafter and is the rescue's unofficial seamstress.
Stacy Edison
Executive Director - Kitten Dreams
Stacy has proudly embraced the title of “Crazy Cat Lady” since the age of 4. During her first grade through third grade schooling, she incessantly needed to wear a cat shirt to school on a regular basis. As a child well through teenage years, her walls were adorned with posters of kittens, cats, tigers, lions and all feline beings rather than boy bands or Tiger Beat cut outs! Stacy went on to delve into the world of human medicine by means of a chiropractic assistant, to medical assistant, to front office to medical billing. After 12 years in the human medical world, Stacy gladly jumped ship and hitched her wagon onto her passion of rescuing local homeless and neglected kittens and cats. As a native Phoenician, she has seen the increasing problems over the years and has made it her personal mission to foster and save as many kittens and cats as possible to give them the greatest forever homes they deserve! LTD has made that passion a reality and Stacy lovingly embraced our mission!
Courtney Jelonek
Executive Director
Courtney has been drawn to helping wildlife and pets since an early age. Her passion for animal care and safety has opened many doors for her nationally to secure and provide homes for countless dogs, cats, birds, and other pets. Now she has joined Living the Dream Rescue as a Executive Director to continue her mission to find loving homes for pets.
In her time off, you can find Courtney playing table top games and reading novels to while curled up with her fosters.