Camille Diemer has spent most of her life surrounded by animals and learned early on that love often comes with fur and a heartbeat. Originally a Los Angeles native, her path into animal advocacy began in childhood and only deepened with time, thanks in part to the influence of her family and the meaningful experiences she had along the way.
“Growing up, we had every animal you could imagine – cats, dogs, guinea pigs, even mice! Although, my mom drew the line at reptiles,” she laughs. When Camille moved to Texas to pursue her education, she lived beside her aunt, who shared her passion for animals and inspired her to get involved in the animal rescue community. “My aunt brought home dogs and would tell her husband they were just fosters, but really, she adopted them all. Once he fell in love with them, she would ‘break the news.’ At that point, he loved them all so much he didn’t really mind,” she shares.
Watching her aunt in action inspired Camille to get involved in the local rescue community herself. She began volunteering with Saving Hope Animal Rescue in Fort Worth, whose mission is to “rescue, rehabilitate, and find loving homes for abandoned, neglected, and abused domestic animals in Dallas Fort Worth, and surrounding areas.”
When Camille first started volunteering with Saving Hope Animal Rescue, she brought dogs home for short-term stays, giving them a break from the shelter environment. “With most of my fosters, one night turned into a few nights because I would just fall in love with them,” she admits. Over time, her responsibilities grew to include vet visits, meet-and-greets with potential adopters, and transport support. “Every person at this organization is so kind. It warms my heart to know the people running this rescue are so passionate about what they do. They’re really making a difference in the community, and I feel so honored to be involved.”
When asked about some of the benefits of fostering, Camille shares, “The dogs who are in foster care are exposed to actual family dynamics so potential adopters can see if they are a good fit. Because they spend time in someone’s home, we can see if they are good with other dogs, how they interact with children, and if they prefer to be the only animal in the home. Taking them out of the shelter environment and into a home benefits both the animals and the potential adopters.”
That firsthand involvement has led Camille to adopt three dogs — two of them being her ‘foster fails.’
Zoey, a small and spunky Yorkie, was supposed to be a foster for Camille to take care of, but when her aunt introduced the two, she knew she wouldn’t be able to part with her. Her aunt surprised her with the news that Zoey was her first official adoptee. “My aunt knew I had always wanted a smaller dog after so many big ones, and Zoey was the perfect fit.”
Next was Louie, a Spaniel Beagle mix.“Louie was technically my first foster fail. Saving Hope Animal Rescue had sent me on a pickup, and he immediately captured my heart. When I left for college, my aunt worked on finding him a new home, but we couldn’t find a good fit for him. When I came home from college, I knew I couldn’t part with him, and he’s been with me ever since,” she shares.
And last but not least was Dory, a Great Pyrenees mix. Camille picked her up after an owner surrendered her at just six months old. “Dory is basically my spirit animal, which is why I instantly fell in love with her. She can be shy at first, but once you get to know her, her personality really shines. I relate to that so deeply, and we instantly bonded.”
Camille didn’t hesitate when asked what makes fostering so meaningful. “The best part of fostering is knowing that I am making a tangible difference in the dogs' lives. I know that I am helping a future family find their forever best friend. There’s nothing quite like it,” Camille shares.
As a recent graduate from Texas A&M with a Bachelor’s degree in Ocean Engineering, Camille aspires to work in coastal resiliency, aiming to be part of groups that restore our beaches and coastlines. In the near future, she will be working as a site engineer at a dredging company and plans to continue supporting Saving Hope Animal Rescue.