Alyssa Danielson has always been an animal lover and activist. Knowing from a young age she wanted to help animals, she began her career by studying veterinary technology at Penn Foster College, a for-profit school with multiple campuses across the U.S. She worked in the field for many years and found it fascinating but not fulfilling enough. It wasn’t until she stumbled into animal rescue that she found her true passion.
Danielson worked with several rescues helping to adopt out over 100 cats and dogs. When a family friend needed to rehome her dog, Reese, who was deemed unadoptable, she desperately turned to Danielson for help who saw potential. After finding Reese a loving home, word got out of the new “go-to girl” for help. It wasn’t long after that Danielson and her sister Erika co-founded The Abandoned Dogs of RI Rescue, a 501(c)(3), no-kill animal rescue center in Burrillville.
PBN: How many dogs have you helped families adopt through Abandoned Dogs of Rhode Island?
DANIELSON: We have adopted out about 100 dogs, cats and bunny rabbits so far. We take in the pets that are a bit harder to adopt out (seniors, bully breeds, injured or sick, untrained, those who can’t be placed with other pets/children, etc.). We don’t focus on how many we can adopt out quickly but rather who needs us the most, providing the best care we can and finding them a home.
PBN: What happens if you become overwhelmed by the number of dogs?
DANIELSON: We try to keep our numbers manageable since we do not have many foster [homes] and are the primary caregivers for each animal we have – we always want to make sure we can give the individual attention needed. We are very fortunate to have such a great group of volunteers who we can rely on to help. Do we still get overwhelmed at times? Yes. But we have to stay focused on what’s important.
PBN: I understand the building you were leasing to house these dogs shut down in early January. How can the community help?
DANIELSON: Our facility has shut down and we were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to lease it, giving us more time to come up with the down payment. Community support will be essential in this effort. We have a fundraising page on our website to help us reach our goal.
Another way to help is to support our mission – adopt or foster our animals. Already have pets? Choose us for your pet needs – we offer boarding, grooming, in-home pet services including pet sitting, pet walking, medication administration and light grooming. The money raised through these services helps support our mission to save lives and keep our adoption center open.
PBN: How long will you be collecting donations to find a new home for these animals?
DANIELSON: We are always accepting donations and have a PayPal link on our website, which makes it easy to donate. We also accept checks, cash and supplies. We have an Amazon wish list, so you can send items right to our facility.
PBN: If community members are also looking for ways to volunteer in support of animals in need, how can they do that?
DANIELSON: Fostering is the best way to volunteer. It costs you nothing at all and helps more animals than you can imagine. It’s a no-commitment way to enjoy having a pet, and the reward of knowing you helped someone in need is truly amazing. Go to our website and fill out a foster application. If you wish to volunteer in other ways such as dog walking, hosting a fundraiser or helping fix up the building, contact us at abandoneddogsofri@gmail.com.
Emily Gowdey-Backus is a staff writer for PBN. You can follow her on Twitter @FlashGowdey or contact her via email, gowdey-backus@pbn.com.
