Non-profit Colorado dog rescue, Brighter Days Dog Rescue (BDDR), credits our furry friends for being the unsung modern-day heroes. Brighter Days’ mission is to continue saving the lives of dogs that are harder to save; the ones that may be overlooked, or forgotten about, due to sickness, injuries, old age, etc. Many in their care have been rescued from high-kill shelters and have often been through very traumatic experiences. They receive emails about dogs in urgent situations from volunteers all over the U.S., and in turn, do everything in their power to save these dogs and unite them with the families they were meant to be with.
If it wasn’t obvious: BDDR places the utmost importance on helping adopters and canines find their perfect match. And they never give up on a dog in their care.
Founder Rebecca (Becca) Orin started BDDR in 2017 out of a desire to help dogs in need. “I wanted to help dogs who were seniors and those with more severe medical cases than more rescues were able to take on” says Becca. They currently rehab over 50 special-needs dogs a year and have 15 dogs in their hospice program.
In this program, Brighter Days takes in about 10-15 dogs annually that are at the end stages of their lives but have been given the chance to spend the rest of their days being showered with love and medical care rather than in an overcrowded shelter. They continue to take on as many hospice dogs as they have funds and fosters for.
“The dogs may not be healthy enough for adoption, affected with things such as heart failure, blindness and deafness, autoimmune disease, kidney disease, etc.,” says Becca. “But just because they have health issues doesn't mean they can’t live anywhere from one month to two years.” Their hospice program, in many ways, is the heart of their mission. They make sure these dogs are as comfortable as possible in a loving foster home where all of their medical needs are met until they cross the rainbow bridge.
Being established in Boulder County has been great for Brighter Days and has proven to be full of assistance and encouragement. “We have found so much support through our community, including fosters, donors and even small businesses that have supported us along the way,” says Becca. “PC’s Pantry in Boulder and Pig and Pearl have always been a huge support for us and we are incredibly grateful for them.”
Their adoption process is thoroughly vetted by the BDDR team, and Becca herself, to ensure that the dogs and the family are compatible and the home environment is healthy for the dog. They review applications on a case-by-case basis and select the home they think would be the best fit for everyone involved. In doing so, the companions in Brighter Days’ care get the second chance they so deserve in the best possible forever home.
With the ultimate goal being to save all of the dogs that need it most, BDDR also recognizes its responsibility as a rescue organization. All dogs and puppies are up-to-date with current vaccinations, spayed/neutered and electronically microchipped before they are adopted to make sure they can always find their way home. This also ensures that they are not contributing to the animal overpopulation crisis in the world, a phenomenon where the number of any given species increases to an alarming extent and the ecosystem fails to support their survival. Dogs are hugely overpopulated around the world, evident through the overcrowding of dog shelters across the U.S. Adoption is so important because it means that we are not contributing to this issue.
"The benefits of adoption are endless, but the main benefit is giving a life to an animal that was brought into the world by humans and has suffered at the hands of them,” says Becca. “Rescue dogs have endless love to give and their loyalty is unmatched.”
Feeling the pull on your heartstrings? So are we.
Learn more about the adoption and fostering process at BrighterDogDaysRescue.com.