PUPPY YOGA CLUB RESCUE SPOTLIGHT

Rachel’s Rescue was created from loss — but what it has built is something lasting.

Today, that legacy lives on through every dog saved, every family formed, and every life given a second chance.

Rachel’s Rescue was founded in 2023 by Kim and Todd Hansen in honor of their daughter, Rachel — a devoted animal lover who had always dreamed of starting a rescue of her own.

After her life was tragically taken, her family chose to carry forward that dream. The work being done today reflects not just what Rachel loved, but what she had already begun in her own life.

Rachel’s Rescue stands as a living tribute to Rachel's compassion, saving dogs and giving them the care and love she always believed they deserved. Rachel's Rescue focuses primarily on large-breed dogs, large litters, and mama dogs who have been abandoned and left without food, shelter, or love. 

Since opening their doors, they have cared for and rehomed over 500 dogs. Rescue organizations like Rachel’s Rescue play a critical role in addressing the ongoing challenge of dog overpopulation in communities across the U.S.

Rachel’s love for animals was not casual — it was a defining part of who she was. She spent much of her time caring for dogs and puppies, fostering those in need and helping them find safe, loving homes. Her compassion extended beyond dogs as well. She worked with horses, including rescuing and training wild mustangs and caring for animals that had been abandoned or neglected.

She was deeply connected to nature, drawn to being outdoors, and found purpose in caring for animals that others had overlooked. That instinct — to step in, to help, to protect — is the same spirit that now drives the work of Rachel’s Rescue.

Rachel was also deeply connected to her family, whose lives remain rooted in preserving her memory. In creating the rescue, they have turned grief into purpose — continuing the work she had already begun in her own life.

Today, every dog that is taken in, cared for, and placed into a loving home is part of that legacy. It is not only a continuation of Rachel’s dream, but a reflection of the life she lived — one defined by compassion, resilience, and a quiet determination to care for those who needed it most.

Rachel’s Rescue has a clear, compassionate niche: they specialize in mama dogs and their litters. Most of the dogs they take in arrive as strays—found by community members or referred by facilities that are simply unable to care for entire litters. Age and circumstance guide every intake decision, with priority given to puppies and young dogs who need the most support.

A recent rescue highlights just how critical these partnerships can be. One expectant mother was found on the streets of Tempe and safely secured by HARTT (Humane Animal Rescue and Trapping Team) before being at risk of entering an overcrowded shelter system. With the help of dedicated rescuers, she was brought to Rachel’s Rescue, where she was able to give birth to all 11 of her puppies in a safe, supportive environment.

From the earliest stages of life, care is intentional and hands-on. Puppies are monitored closely, given proper nutrition, and supported through critical early development milestones in a calm, safe environment.

Mama dogs are welcomed into a separate, quiet area where they can decompress and prepare for — or recover from — birth. From there, care is gradual and intentional, with socialization beginning only when both the puppies and their mother are ready.

Rachel’s Rescue specializes in puppies and young dogs, ensuring they receive the support they need during the most critical stages of development. Each year, the team helps approximately 350 dogs, providing essential veterinary care including vaccinations (DAPP series and rabies when age-appropriate), spay and neuter procedures, microchipping, and any necessary medical testing or treatment, ensuring each dog is healthy, supported, and ready for a safe transition into a permanent home.

Bringing a pregnant dog into rescue is an act of profound responsibility — and Rachel’s Rescue approaches it with care at every stage.

When a mother dog arrives, she’s given a dedicated space that is calm, quiet, and entirely her own. For a dog who may have known uncertainty or chaos, that sense of stability is essential. It allows her to settle, feel safe, and prepare for what’s ahead on her own terms.

After the puppies are born, that environment remains consistent by design. A mother dog recovering from birth, nursing her litter, and adjusting to new surroundings needs predictability above almost anything else. Maintaining that calm, steady space supports her recovery, strengthens the bond with her puppies, and gives the entire litter a healthier start.

It’s a level of care that begins before a puppy ever leaves its mother — and shapes everything that follows.

As puppies grow, socialization begins — not on a fixed schedule, but as a natural progression. In their earliest weeks, they absorb everything: sound, touch, human presence, and the rhythms of daily life. At Rachel’s Rescue, those early experiences are shaped with care, ensuring that each interaction is positive, gentle, and reinforcing.

Mother dogs are given their own timeline.

After the intensity of birth and the demands of nursing, they need time to decompress before re-entering a more social environment. That process is never rushed. Each dog is allowed to signal her own readiness — returning to interaction when she feels settled, not when a timeline dictates.

Much of this work happens through daily, hands-on care. It’s how trust is built with dogs that may have arrived with little reason to offer it. It’s how early behavioral patterns are observed and gently guided. And it’s how each dog — mother or puppy begins to understand that the people around them are safe, consistent, and dependable.

For dogs that have known instability, that consistency is not a small detail — it’s often the first step toward becoming the animal they were always capable of being.

Celeste arrived as a very pregnant stray, picked up by a community shelter. Within two days of being taken in, she gave birth to eight puppies — on a cold cement floor, without so much as a blanket. Due to the harsh conditions, two of her puppies did not survive those first days. When Rachel’s Rescue learned of her situation, they acted quickly.

A shelter volunteer reached out to Rachel's Rescue, and Kim and Todd arranged transport immediately. Celeste was brought into a warm, safe, and loving space where she could care for her newborns properly and comfortably. All six surviving puppies thrived — growing into healthy, happy dogs. 

The mama and her newborns were able to overcome the obstacles to find safety and stability. 

Despite that difficult beginning, Celeste and her surviving puppies made it through — and kept going. Under the care of Rachel’s Rescue, the litter grew stronger, and one by one, each puppy was placed into a loving home. 

Celeste’s story didn’t end there. After raising her litter, she found a home of her own — with devoted parents, a sprawling property, and a pack of six dogs to call her own. For a dog who once gave birth alone on a cold cement floor, the life she has now is more than a happy ending. It’s a reminder of what rescue makes possible — and why the work continues.

Rachel's Rescue places all dogs in foster homes while they await adoption, ensuring every dog gets individualized care and human connection before finding their forever family. The adoption process includes an application, interview, adoption contract, and a meet-and-greet in the Hansens' home so adopters and pups can truly connect.

Penny’s story is another example of the impact of rescue. Found alone and abandoned, she was brought to Rachel’s Rescue for care before being adopted into a loving home by the very person who first found her. Today, she’s part of a family and finally has the life she deserves. 

Partnerships help shine a light on the growing issue of abandoned and homeless dogs.

Working together with other organizations that support dogs and animals creates a meaningful collaboration that addresses one of the most urgent animal welfare crises of our time. The overpopulation of dogs across the US has reached unprecedented levels, with even puppies being euthanized at a heartbreaking rate due simply to overcrowding and lack of resources.

Awareness is often the first step toward action — and for many people, it’s what turns interest into adoption.

By raising awareness, sharing real rescue stories, and creating opportunities for people to connect with dogs in a meaningful way, Puppy Yoga Club and Rachel’s Rescue are working toward the same goal: helping more dogs find loving homes.

For Rachel’s Rescue, collaboration is an essential part of that effort. 

Partnerships help bring visibility to a much larger issue — one that often goes unseen. They create space for people to better understand the scale of dog overpopulation, the number of animals still waiting for homes, and the importance of adoption as a long-term solution.

That kind of awareness doesn’t happen in isolation. It grows through shared efforts, through conversations, and through experiences that allow people to see these dogs not as statistics, but as individuals — each one with the capacity to be part of a home, a routine, and a life.

Despite these challenges, the mission remains clear: every dog saved is a life changed.

Rachel’s Rescue continues its work with a sense of purpose rooted in that belief, moving forward one dog at a time, knowing that each placement matters. The goal is simple, but powerful — to create a future where fewer dogs are left behind, and more are given the chance to belong.

In many ways, the mission continues to reflect the life that inspired it.

As they often say, “Every home has a dog, and every dog has a home.”

This post is dedicated to the memory of Rachel Hansen, whose love for animals and generous spirit live on in every dog that finds its way home.