Dog Save The People

Karla Crespo is an Empowerment Coach with her own company (The Grateful Heart Co) who has had two crucial dogs in her life, Lucky and Daisy, during times when she needed them to keep going. From being a mother to being an entrepreneur, her dogs have been by her side and she has grown with them. When she adopted her current dog, Daisy, they were both going through a transition and helped each other get through it during all the ups and downs.

Mark Welsh is a copywriter and brand builder who made his way from New Zealand to New York City and accidentally fell into a life of dogs. At a time when Mark was looking for a change in his life and new creative inspiration, his first dog Sweetie showed up at his doorstep. But it was also not only Mark who’s heart Sweetie ended up capturing, as she became a darling of the fashion circuit. She became a fashion industry staple, going on to write her own Elle Magazine column and books (with the help of Mark). This all came when Mark was at a crossroads in his life, and Sweetie pushed him in a new, exciting, and fulfilling direction.

Courtney Pare adopted her dog, Rondo, from the humane society nine years ago, and it has truly been one of those “Who Saved Who” situations. Courtney has dealt with anxiety and depression for quite some time, and when Rondo was about four years old, she went through one of the darkest periods of my life. At this time, when she thought she had absolutely nothing to live for, Rondo was there, providing her not only with the purest, most unconditional love, but also a reminder that she couldn't leave this world and leave him behind. No one else would care for him. He would surely be put down. Since then, Rondo has helped her live a brighter life and she has also advocated on his behalf, as he is sometimes intimidating to strangers. But Courtney pushes to make sure that all humans and dogs are heard, no matter what. She also works as a naturopathic doctor and works to help people get past their own mental health struggles.

Cesar Fernandez-Chavez is best friends with his dog, Louboutina, who he has had for around seven years now. Cesar was finding peace after a breakup and his best friend got him a dog, whom Cesar fell in love with at first sight. They live in New York City and Louboutina has become somewhat of a canine celebrity around town. She is known as “The Hugging Dog” and gives her special dog hugs to friends and strangers alike around NYC. The hugs break up the rush of New York City and people always being in a rush. They pause, take a moment, and embrace her furry hugs.

Zach Skow struggled with self-love and acceptance, leading him down a dark path of drug and alcohol abuse. He hit rock bottom and was diagnosed with end-stage liver disease. With only months left to live and six months of sobriety required to qualify for a transplant, it appeared to be a death sentence. But somehow he was able to find solace in his dogs, and pushed through. He got better, and afterwards started Marley’s Mutts – a non-profit rescue organization – and the Pawsitive Change program, where he matches deathrow dogs with inmates in prisons to help give them both a second chance at life on the outside.

Carly Wilson was facing mental health struggles, even getting signed off work for that very reason, and was able to find solace by getting her dog, Luna, who has helped her work through those issues and become a true light in her life and the way she feels connected and active with the world around her. She lives in Kent, England, with her partner, which gives Luna the lurcher (who is a very unusual, and beautiful, looking dog) the ample room to get her energy out.

Jo Ann Beard is a writer and professor at Sarah Lawrence College, as well as a Founder of the Best Bullies To The Rescue organization. The first dog she ever rescued, Rufo, was the hardest dog she’s ever had to find a home for – but he’s also the one that’s been the most rewarding. Jo Ann has also found a completely new community and group of connected people in her life through rescue. Always surrounded by dogs in her life, she finds her perspective of the world constantly shifting and growing deeper thanks to both her own dogs and the ones she helps rescue.

Ken Foster is a dog book author and is the former Community Outreach Program for the Animal Care Centers (ACC) of New York City. His latest book, City of Dogs, is a look into how dogs live throughout the five boroughs and the unique relationships between dogs and their human counterparts within different neighborhoods – meeting with over 4,000 dogs. He also collaborated on it with a photographer who helped capture the dogs and people along the way. Ken has written several other books on dogs such as The Dogs Who Found Me, Dogs I Have Met, and I'm A Good Dog.

Kelsey Straus lives in the Pacific Northwest with her corgi, Ava (just over a year old) and her golden, Aspen (just under a year old). Kelsey credits Ava for getting her into photography full force after she had just dabbled with it here and there throughout her life. Now she's started a side business with her photography and has also garnered an audience on Instagram for her images. She also is a yoga instructor and does wedding planning, too. You can find her on Instagram: @littlepnwpups

Susie Coston is the National Shelter Director at Farm Sanctuary, the nation’s largest and most effective farm animal rescue and protection organization. With more than two decades of experience working with farm animals, Susie is a leading authority on both their care and behavior, and she calls on both her expertise and her deep connections with these animals (often referred to as “the farm animal whisperer”) to advocate for compassion for animals everywhere. She has two dogs of her own who are a big part of her life in Watkins Glen, New York. Through her connection with animals, she has learned more about how we need to have compassion for each other.