In 2010, a 23-year-old business student from central Minnesota took a leap of faith that would change thousands of lives – both human and animal. Azure Davis, founder and executive director of Ruff Start Rescue, vividly recalls the moment everything began. A pit bull mix named Hope, severely underweight and out of time at an Ohio shelter, was flown into Minnesota and became the organization’s very first rescue. From that day forward, Ruff Start Rescue became a lifeline for animals in need – and a passionate community movement.
“I knew in my gut I had to do something,” Davis says. “Watching Hope heal, and then seeing her adopted by her foster family, showed me what was possible.”
What started as a one-woman effort in her parents’ basement has since evolved into a powerhouse of compassion. Now celebrating 15-years, Ruff Start Rescue has saved over 29,000 animals and is supported by 1,800 foster homes, 500 active volunteers, and a dedicated staff of 43. In 2024 alone, the organization rescued 3,665 animals, with numbers continuing to grow.
Davis’s passion for animal welfare took root early in life. Raised in the countryside, she spent her childhood helping orphaned and injured animals that often showed up at her doorstep. That instinct to protect and care never faded. While pursuing her degree, she realized that saving animals wasn’t just a passion, it was her purpose.
“People told me I was making a mistake,” she recalls, “but I knew in my heart that this was what I was meant to do.” Quitting her job to pursue Ruff Start full-time was risky, but she never looked back. Today, her vision has grown into a thriving, nonprofit foster-based rescue with national reach and local roots.
Unlike shelters with physical facilities, Ruff Start Rescue operates through an expansive foster network. Volunteers open their homes to cats, dogs, and small animals like guinea pigs, hamsters, bunnies, rats, and chinchillas – many of whom have faced neglect or abandonment. Each foster plays a crucial role in preparing animals for adoption by offering stability and healing.
The organization runs entirely on donations and community support, receiving no government funding. “We’re powered by people,” Davis says. “Our fosters, volunteers, donors – they’re the heart of what we do.”
In addition to rescue work, Ruff Start educates adopters and the community to ensure animals remain in safe, loving homes for life. Their mission is clear: to create a world where every companion animal has a home and every family has the knowledge and tools to care for them.
Davis sees the impact not just in the animals they save but in the humans they inspire. “We’ve built more than an organization, we’ve built a movement,” she says. “It’s about being the person you needed when you were younger. That’s what keeps us going.”
Want to be part of the rescue journey? Ruff Start Rescue is always seeking fosters, adopters, volunteers, and donors. Learn more at ruffstartrescue.org/get-involved.
Because every rescue begins with a heart willing to help, and every adoption saves more than just one life.