Her name was Nisswa. She was a “neighborhood dog” – a gentle little stray with a red coat, white paws, and half-cocked ears, who would shrink away whenever a stranger got near her.
To Nisswa, people were nothing but strangers. Fate had deposited her in rural Alabama, where her sole human interaction was quite possibly limited to being dumped by the side of a road as a puppy.
The neighborhood Nisswa lived in was ambivalent toward her. Residents idly looked on as she grew visibly sicker, and her belly bulged downward with puppies. It wasn’t until she apparently vanished that someone thought to contact Heart of Alabama Save, Rescue, Adopt (HASRA).
By sheer, dumb luck, a HASRA volunteer discovered Nisswa while touring a house for sale. There she was: denned up in the hellacious swelter of an old shed, barely managing to nurse seven famished week-old puppies.
Nisswa’s luck held out. HASRA is a no-kill shelter, which sends many of the dogs it rescues to the loving embrace of Savage, Minnesota. Nisswa and her litter arrived at the Bakken household in July of 2019.
“She was such a good girl,” reminisced Diana Bakken, founder and executive director of Warrior Dog Rescue. “So calm, so grateful, and so eager to be loved even though she must have been racked with pain from heartworm, ehrlichiosis, and kidney failure.
“The way Nisswa tenderly cared for her puppies and taught them how to behave stole our hearts. Her passing, which came one month after she entered our lives, broke us. But we continued raising her puppies, and placed all of them in wonderful forever homes, and still keep her memory with us each day.
“Nisswa isn’t just the caped dog in our logo. She’s the angel who sits on my shoulder and urges me to keep going.
“It was my daughter Laura who urged me to get started. She wanted to foster dogs so badly during high school – partly because of social media, and partly because she had inherited my own mother’s kindness toward animals. My husband Kevin and I said ‘Let’s go for it,’ and we were soon fostering for a local rescue.
“Our initial experience fostering dogs was wonderful. But the rescue we fostered for? Well, let’s just say it left a lot to be desired. It wasn’t long until we decided to build a better rescue: where good ethics come first, placement in loving forever homes is expedited, and volunteers receive all the support, high-quality equipment, and access to the excellent veterinary care they need to truly take care of their charges. Our goal came to fruition with the establishment of Warrior Dog Rescue on October 4th, 2017.
“Warrior Dog Rescue represents the collective will of many fantastic people. Our partners at HASRA work tirelessly to save dogs from an area where abuse and abandonment are so commonplace that they aren’t prosecuted as crimes. Our board members Marcy Anagnostou, Kori Ennen, Leslie Kuehn and Wendy Laramy are every bit as passionate about giving dogs second chances as I am. I’m also grateful for all of our coordinators, foster mentors, managers, supervisors and trainers who give their time and their energy so selflessly.
“Above all else, I thank the volunteers, foster families and donors who keep Warrior Dog Rescue alive. Anyone who would like to play with adorable puppies is welcome to apply to volunteer at ‘The Dog House,’ our location in Savage where we quarter and rehabilitate rescues. If you would like to open your home and your heart to a dog, then I encourage you to apply to foster today. And if you donate any amount of money to our cause, it will go directly toward saving the sweetest and most innocent lives in the world.”
Do it for Nisswa. Visit warriordogrescue.com to learn how you can support Warrior Dog Rescue, as well as see their upcoming adoption events (many of which are held at Eden Prairie Center)!
She’s the angel who sits on my shoulder and urges me to keep going.