Motley Mutts Rescue was formed by a few friends wanting to rescue dogs
Motley Mutts Rescue is a registered 501c3 and works primarily with rescuers in MS who have no local shelter or have a shelter that provides below minimum care to the dogs they house. Most of our rescue partners work out of their homes, fostering homeless dogs within their community until they can get them into loving homes.
Motley Mutts Rescue provides veterinary care, as well as food, vaccines, wormer, preventatives, and other basic needs. When we have funding we also provide and help maintain housing for the dogs while in Mississippi, since there is no community facility or kennels that don’t meet standard levels of care for the dogs in the county.
Motley Mutts Rescue is an all inclusive dog rescue. We rescue small dogs, big dogs, old dogs, and puppies regardless of breed. We’ve even been known to let some purebred dogs into the rescue!
While we take in every type of dog, we are known to have a soft spot for seniors. At Motley Rescue, we try hard to take multiple seniors a month because a shelter is no place for a dog in its golden years. We welcome every Mama dog who comes with puppies. We have also never turned away a dog in need of heartworm treatment.
Motley Mutts Rescue runs as well as it does because of the generosity and kindness of friends, family, and more often than not strangers. We are so thankful to folks who have and continue to support our mission. In our first year, we rescued nearly 600 dogs.
Believe it or not, Melissa started out as a cat person. While she’s loved dogs her whole life, she never thought of owning one until her girlfriend (now wife of 22 years) Ellie mentioned they should get a chihuahua. When Melissa and Ellie got their first chihuahua it changed their lives. Sophia, the 6-pound chihuahua, became everything. As soon as Melissa and Ellie bought their house, they located local rescues to become a foster home. Their first foster was a long-haired senior dachshund named Buddy from the Manchester Animal Shelter. It’s been a roller coaster journey being the crash pad for well over a couple thousand different dogs from Great Danes to Chihuahuas, but they said they’d do it all over again. The only thing that Melissa loves as much as her 4 dogs and her wife, is music. She will sneak away any chance she gets for live entertainment.
Katie recently left her career of 21 years to venture out. She is a wife and proud owner of multiple motley mutts. She prides herself on providing a fulfilling, structured, and compassionate environment for her dogs and fosters that come into her home. Katie’s passion is the out of doors. She spends many hours a week hiking local trails with her dogs. The energy of the outdoors brings balance and calmness. She feels unbelievably blessed to be living and loving this beautiful life. She’s been involved with rescues and volunteering for many years and is very excited about continuing to help dogs make their way to their forever homes with Motley Mutts Rescue.
Rebecca has cared for animals in one way or another nearly all her life. She has an instinctive way of connecting with dogs and understanding their needs. She has spent several years working at boarding facilities and pet sitting in between bartending gigs. The last few years she stumbled into working at a local rescue, and from there, found a true passion for rescue. Becky has two senior dachshunds, Lily and Presly, who are the loves of her life. When Becky isn’t kicking back spending time with dogs, she is spending time with her family whom she also loves dearly.
No board would be complete without adding a Southern perspective and we sure felt like the lucky ones when Laura agreed to join us from afar. For the last eight years Laura has fostered hundreds of puppies and dogs that have made their way up North from her home state of Mississippi. Laura loves getting to experience different breeds (often times several different breeds all in one dog) and personalities. Although she becomes attached to her fosters she knows there’s always another one that will need help. Taking in dogs that occasionally need medical TLC is right up her alley as Laura is a surgical nurse. Laura has a dog supportive husband and two children that live with their 8 personal dogs. Laura says being in rescue is hard, frustrating, and heartbreaking at times. The reward is updates on dogs that had no chance for a loving home in Mississippi. Her connection with Motley Mutts Rescue is the perfect way to contribute to connecting families with their new fur baby.
Brittany works full time with students with special needs. She and her husband adopted their dog Harvey from a rescue 4 years ago and they’ve been involved with rescues ever since. When Brittany’s not whipping up something amazing in the kitchen, she can be found spending time with her family hiking with Harvey all over local trails. Their 10 year old daughter is an integral part of their rescue work and they’re all excited to continue to help save dogs through Motley Mutts.
Sandy is known most for her generous heart and kindness. Her love for animals stretches back as far as she can remember and she has rescued many a dog along the way. She is notorious for adopting “those dogs” most would not take on, providing them with the best possible life. Her friendships with Motley Mutt team members and love for dogs led her to join this wonderful organization. When not applying her love for numbers and spreadsheets as a full-time financial officer, she enjoys hiking, traveling, and volunteering.
Brittany’s reputation for taking in animals of all shapes and sizes needing soft landings has been growing over the past 20 years. Her first South Carolina “ditch dog” started her love for rescues while she was in college and she is so grateful for the opportunity to have welcomed two Motley Mutts to her menagerie of dogs, cat, reptiles, rodents, rabbits, and equine family. Working as a school based occupational therapist with children with special needs, Brittany enjoys being a part of a team encouraging confidence, curiosity, a love of learning, and building relationships with her students and families. Brittany can most often be found at the barn with her horse, mucking stalls, and enjoying several equine activities such as eventing, endurance riding, trail riding, and using the obstacle course!
Carolyn has always been an animal lover since she was a small child. She has been involved in animal rescue for over 20 years in several capacities. She is a certified dog trainer owning her dog training business, Wagtime Dog Training for over 15years, teaching classes, private lessons and consults. It has always been rewarding to Carolyn when she has been working with dogs and their owners to help build their relationship and communication through trust and respect. She is passionate about working with homeless dogs using positive reinforcement to help them improve better skills to be adopted.
Carolyn lives with her husband, Art and 4 rescued dogs, a cat, chickens, and 3 small goats. She has lived with and loved many other dogs and cats that have passed on. Her belief is animals come into our lives to show us love and loyalty. It is a special gift that is given to us when that special relationship is built. Being semi retired, Carolyn loves to spend time on the “farm” but also share many travel adventures with her husband.
