Danny Lake
Read Danny's bio
Meet Danny Lake
Every organization needs a strong leader, but at Holding Hope, we hit the jackpot with Danny Lake. We’re still trying to figure out how one human being manages to fit 48 hours of work into a 24-hour day.
Danny is a man who wears more hats than we can count. Between working multiple jobs, raising a family, volunteering throughout the community, and serving as President of Holding Hope, you’d think he’d eventually run out of time, energy, or the ability to say yes. But apparently, Danny missed the lesson on how to say “no.”
And thank goodness he did.
Danny is our go-to guy for just about everything. Need someone to stand in front of a crowd and give a professional speech without embarrassing the rest of us? Call Danny. Need someone to organize a fundraising event, represent Holding Hope in the community, build relationships, or rally support for a cause? Danny’s your man. Need help with something that wasn’t even remotely on his schedule? Chances are, he’s already on his way.
But one of the things that makes Danny so special to Holding Hope is what he does when nobody is watching.
While he may be the polished public speaker and familiar face at community events, he’s also the guy who opens his home and heart to some of our toughest foster cases. The dogs who need extra patience, understanding, structure, and someone willing to put in the work? Those are often the very ones Danny steps up for. He doesn’t just advocate for second chances. He gives them.
What makes that even more remarkable is that he does all of this while balancing his own family, jobs, and countless other commitments. He gives his time freely, shows up without hesitation, and somehow makes everyone else’s problems part of his already overflowing to-do list.
We’re convinced he either doesn’t sleep, runs entirely on caffeine and determination, or has secretly figured out how to clone himself. Whatever his secret is, we’d love for him to share it.
All jokes aside, Danny represents everything Holding Hope stands for: compassion, hard work, community, dedication, and showing up for those who need someone in their corner.
Danny doesn’t just hold the title of President. He leads by example, gets his hands dirty, opens his home, gives his time, and puts his whole heart into this mission.
We couldn’t ask for a better person to help lead Holding Hope, and we certainly couldn’t do what we do without him.
Danny, we’re grateful for everything you do. But seriously, somebody please make this man sit down every once in a while.
Mallory Brown
Read Mallory's bio
Meet Mallory Brown
Holding Hope began with one simple belief: where an animal is born should never determine whether they get to live.
For Mallory Brown, animal rescue was never something she planned to turn into a title, a nonprofit, or a full-time mission. It started by working in a rural shelter in Albany, Georgia. She was asked to come behavior test some of the dogs because they were euthanizing at alarming rates. She isn't a behavioral professional, but she does know dogs pretty well. Living and working in rural South Georgia, Mallory saw firsthand how poverty, limited veterinary resources, animal overpopulation, heartworm disease, and the lack of animal services in many communities left good people with few options and countless animals with nowhere to go.
She couldn't simply look the other way.
What began as helping animals whenever and however she could grew into Holding Hope Inc, a nonprofit dedicated to giving some of the South's most overlooked animals a fighting chance. She didn't come up with it, but a good group of animal lovers decided she needed to have support and met with her and they formed Holding Hope together.
Today, Holding Hope's work reaches far beyond pulling an animal from danger. They coordinate veterinary care, spay and neuter services, heartworm treatment, emergency medical care, fosters, rescue placements, ground transportation, and Pilots N Paws flights that move animals from overcrowded rural shelters and communities to foster-based rescues across the country.
Sometimes that means answering the phone for an injured animal. Sometimes it's bottle-feeding kittens, finding money for a surgery, begging for a foster, arranging a health certificate, driving animals across state lines, or coordinating pilots and rescue partners late into the night. And sometimes it means sitting beside an animal at the end of its life so that, even when rescue couldn't change the outcome, that animal didn't have to leave this world alone.
Mallory also serves in municipal animal control and works closely with the City of Blakely Animal Shelter, giving her a perspective that spans nearly every side of animal welfare—from cruelty and abandonment cases to shelter operations, veterinary care, rescue networking, transport, adoption, prevention, and community education.
But Holding Hope was never created just to move animals from one place to another.
Holding Hope believes real change happens when rescue begins before an animal ever reaches a shelter. That's why Holding Hope invests in affordable spay and neuter, vaccinations, heartworm treatment, pet food assistance, veterinary support, education, and partnerships designed to keep animals healthy and families together—especially in rural Georgia and Alabama communities where resources can be painfully limited.
She has seen the worst of rescue: animals shot, starved, abandoned, injured, neglected, dumped with litters of puppies, and surrendered when there simply wasn't enough space.
But she has also seen what happens when people decide those lives matter.
She has watched terrified dogs learn to trust. She has watched sick animals become unrecognizable after treatment. She has watched airplanes lift off carrying animals who once had nowhere to go and land hundreds of miles away where families and rescues were waiting for them. She has watched volunteers, veterinarians, pilots, fosters, donors, businesses, children, and complete strangers come together to save an animal they had never even met.
That is Holding Hope.
It isn't one person doing everything.
It's one person refusing to give up—and building a community of people willing to refuse with her.
Holding Hope's goal isn't simply to save the animal standing in front of her today. It's to help build a future where fewer animals ever need rescuing in the first place.
Until that day comes, Holding Hope will keep answering the calls, finding the fosters, paying the vet bills, coordinating the flights, fighting for the forgotten ones, and somehow figuring out how to make room for just one more.
Because sometimes all an animal needs is for somebody to hold onto hope long enough for their second chance to arrive.
Jo Hixon
Read Jo's bio
Meet Jo Hixon
Every organization has someone who holds things together behind the scenes. Someone who doesn’t need recognition, doesn’t ask for credit, and somehow manages to make everything a little better just by being part of it.
For Holding Hope, that person is Jo Hixon.
If you’ve ever heard the phrase “salt of the earth,” we’re pretty sure whoever came up with it had someone exactly like Jo in mind.
Jo may not always be the one knee-deep in muddy kennels or chasing a runaway dog down the road, but make no mistake: she is one of the most valuable players on our entire team. And quite frankly, we don’t know what we’d do without her.
As our bookkeeper and a dedicated board member, Jo helps keep Holding Hope organized, accountable, and moving forward. But her contributions go so much further than numbers on a spreadsheet.
Need an animal transported to the veterinarian? Jo’s there. Have an unexpected veterinary bill that needs to be paid? Before we can finish explaining the situation, she’s already asking where to send the check. Have a problem that nobody can seem to figure out? One phone call to Jo, and somehow it’s handled.
She’s our fixer, our problem-solver, our financial voice of reason, and one of the most generous souls we’ve ever known.
And that generosity is clearly a family trait. Jo and Deker have raised three daughters who have followed her example by supporting Holding Hope through donations and opening their homes to adopted animals. Her compassion hasn’t just made a difference in our organization; it’s created a ripple effect of kindness through her entire family.
Then there’s Jo’s relationship with the animals themselves.
This woman has never met a dog or puppy she couldn’t fall hopelessly in love with in approximately three seconds.
It doesn’t matter if they’re big, little, scruffy, slobbery, shy, or have a face only a mother could love. Jo is already in love, telling us how precious they are, and probably figuring out how to help them before we’ve even finished introducing them.
But as much as Jo loves the animals, what makes her truly extraordinary is the way she loves people.
Jo is a woman of deep Christian faith, unwavering kindness, and a heart that seems to have no limits. She leads with grace, gives without expecting anything in return, and has a way of making everyone around her want to be a little better.
But beyond all the checks written, bills paid, animals transported, problems solved, and difficult conversations mediated, Jo is something even more important.
She’s family.
She’s the person we call when we’re overwhelmed, when something goes wrong, when we need advice, when we need help, or sometimes when we just need someone to remind us why we’re doing all of this.
There are people who serve on nonprofit boards because they believe in a mission. And then there are people like Jo, who become part of the very heart of that mission.
She supports us emotionally, spiritually, and in a hundred little ways that most people will never see.
And while she may never be the loudest person in the room, her presence is one of the most powerful.
Jo, you are one of God’s sweetest gifts to Holding Hope. Your faith, generosity, wisdom, loyalty, and unconditional love mean more to us than you’ll ever know. You make the hard days easier, the impossible situations manageable, and the good days even sweeter.
We love you dearly, we appreciate you endlessly, and we are so incredibly blessed to have you in our corner.
And from Mallory personally: Thank you for loving me, putting up with me, believing in me, and occasionally reminding me that Jesus is watching and bail money is better spent on vet bills.
Holding Hope wouldn’t be the same without you, Jo. And neither would the people lucky enough to know you.
Mrs. Bonnie Staubitz Professional “Call Bonnie, She’ll Know What to Do” Person Some people volunteer their time. Some donate. Some foster. Some transport. And then there’s Mrs. Bonnie — who somehow manages to do all of it. Mrs. Bonnie has become one of Holding Hope’s most dedicated, loyal, and dependable supporters. Whether she is opening her home to an animal that needs somewhere safe to land, loading up her vehicle for another transport, networking to find rescue placement, donating toward an urgent need, or finding someone willing to step up and cover an expense, she is always looking for a way to help. She is the person you call when Plan A has failed, Plan B is looking questionable, and you desperately need somebody who will answer the phone and say, “What do you need?” Her impact reaches far beyond the miles she has driven and the animals she has fostered. She has connected animals with rescues, rallied donors when funds were desperately needed, stepped in when transportation was needed, and given her own time, money, home, and heart to this mission. Mrs. Bonnie doesn’t do any of it for recognition. She does it because she genuinely cares and because when an animal needs someone to step up, she believes somebody should. We are incredibly fortunate that so many times, that somebody has been Mrs. Bonnie. She isn’t simply one of our volunteers. She is part of the heart of Holding Hope and an irreplaceable member of our rescue family.
Bonnie Staubitz
Friends of Blakely is a community partner working alongside Holding Hope to support animals and animal welfare efforts in the Blakely, Georgia area. They help coordinate care, raise funds, transport animals, and support daily shelter operations.
Friends of Blakely
Bethany is a dedicated animal advocate and Holding Hope volunteer with a special heart for animals in rural communities. She helps wherever needed, from fostering and transporting to cleaning kennels and caring for shelter animals, all while sharing their stories and connecting them with rescues and forever homes. Her passion goes beyond helping one animal at a time: she works to raise awareness about the challenges facing rural shelters and encourages others to foster, adopt, spay and neuter, and volunteer. She believes every animal deserves compassion, a chance, and someone willing to fight for them.
Bethany Harvat
Resident Cat Whisperer
Every rescue needs someone the cats trust.
For Holding Hope, that someone is Abi.
Abi has a gift with cats and kittens. She takes on kittens who need care, patience, and a gentle hand, and she helps them grow into the confident, ready-for-a-family cats they were meant to be.
And she doesn’t stop at cats. When the dogs need help, Abi pitches in there too.
We are so grateful to have Abi on our team, and so are all the kittens who have gotten a softer start because of her.
Abi Harvat
Professional Animal Chauffeurs
Sometimes saving an animal comes down to one simple problem:
They need a ride.
The rescue may have said yes. The foster may be waiting. The pilot may be fueled up and ready. The veterinarian may have finished the health certificate.
But somebody still has to get that animal from Point A to Point B.
That’s where people like Carolyn and Claire become absolutely essential.
Carolyn and Claire have helped Holding Hope and Blakely Animal Shelter transport animals to airports, meeting points, rescues, fosters, and the next stops on their journeys. They have rearranged their own time to make sure an animal doesn’t miss an opportunity simply because transportation wasn’t available.
It may look like “just a car ride” from the outside, but in rescue, transportation can literally be the difference between an animal remaining stuck and an animal making it to safety.
Every crate loaded into their vehicles represents countless moving pieces finally coming together: a rescue commitment, a foster opening, veterinary care, paperwork, donors, volunteers, and sometimes even a pilot waiting on a runway.
And they help connect those pieces.
They have driven more than miles for Holding Hope. They have driven animals toward their second chances.
For that, and for every “Yes, we can help,” we are incredibly grateful.
Carolyn & Claire
Josie Foy grew up in Southwest Florida on her family's cattle ranch, where she spent her childhood raising and showing steers through 4-H. Her love for animals has stayed with her ever since, along with a deep appreciation for the people and communities who care for them. Today, Josie volunteers with Holding Hope because she believes every dog deserves to be seen, loved, and given the chance to find a family of their own. She especially loves getting to know the dogs who might otherwise be overlooked and helping share their stories so the right people can find them.
Josie Foy
Kitten Caregiver • Safe Place for the Ones Who Need a Little Extra
Fostering is not just cuddling cute puppies and kittens.
Sometimes it’s medication schedules, vet appointments, cleaning wounds, watching temperatures, worrying through the night, changing bedding for the hundredth time, and wondering whether that tiny animal is finally starting to feel better.
The Newsome family are the people willing to take on that part of rescue.
The Newsome family, Jenna, Amelia, & Brady, have opened their home to kittens who needed more than somewhere to stay. They have cared for kittens through medical complications, administered medications, monitored their recovery, made vet trips, and provided the patience and attention that sick and vulnerable kittens desperately need.
Foster homes like The Newsome's are invaluable to Holding Hope because they allow kittens to recover somewhere quiet, comfortable, and loved instead of inside a shelter kennel.
And when things don’t go according to plan, because rescue rarely goes according to plan, she keeps showing up.
Every kitten that leaves their home healthier, happier, more socialized, and ready for its next chapter carries a little piece of the love she gave them.
The Newsome's don’t just give kittens a temporary place to stay. They give them a safe place to heal.
And Holding Hope is incredibly grateful to have them foster and volunteer.
The Newsome Family
The Foster Family Who Won’t Take a Break (Even When We Ask Them To)
Some foster families help for a season. Hailey and Mack Luke have been part of this work for years.
Hailey’s story with Mallory goes back to Mallory’s days at Southern Souls in Eufaula, where Hailey adopted a pittie named Pippa. That one adoption turned into something much bigger.
Since then, Hailey, Mack, and their kids have fostered more than 50 dogs for us. Each one arrived needing somewhere safe to land, and each one left a little more ready for the family waiting for them.
The only time Hailey stepped back was when she had another baby, and Mallory told her she needed to take time off until the baby was older.
Did she listen? Nope.
Not long after the baby was born, she showed up to pick up Bear. Today, the Lukes are fostering Sam.
That is the kind of heart this family has. When a dog needs somewhere to go, they find a way to say yes, even when the house is already full and even when somebody tells them they’ve earned a break.
We are so grateful for Hailey, Mack, and their kids, and for every dog they have helped carry toward a second chance.
The Luke Family
Foster Family for the Ones Who Get Passed Over
Every rescue has them: the dogs who wait the longest. The ones who get scrolled past, overlooked, or labeled “hard to place.”
James and Bailey Morgan and their kids make room for those dogs.
They started out fostering puppies, and since then they have opened their home to dogs like Pretty Girl, Weston, and Willie, the ones nobody else was lining up to take.
That takes a special kind of family. It means patience, flexibility, and a willingness to see the dog underneath whatever made everyone else hesitate.
Their commitment doesn’t stop at their front door, either. Their daughter has organized several fundraising events for our animals and donated what she raised to Holding Hope.
The Morgans are really good fosters and even better people. They show up for the animals who need it most, and they are raising the next generation to do the same.
We are so thankful to have the Morgan family in our corner.
The Morgan Family
Mamas, Pups, and the Ones Who Need Time to Trust
Not every rescue dog comes out of the kennel ready to snuggle.
Some arrive nursing a litter of puppies. Some have spent their whole lives on their own and have no reason to trust people yet. Those dogs need more than a place to stay. They need patience, space, and someone willing to wait for them.
Sonja and Steven Griffin are those people.
They take in our mama dogs and their pups, and they open their home to the “feral” dogs who need socializing before they can ever find a family.
And here’s the thing about the Griffins: if one of those dogs turns out to be dog friendly, it usually never leaves. The dogs who needed the most time to trust end up with a home for life.
Their help doesn’t stop at fostering. Sonja also transports for us when something needs to get to Americus or Albany, and the two of them donate generously to keep the work going.
They are so good to our rescue animals, and they help in more ways than most people will ever see.
We are incredibly grateful to have Sonja and Steven in the Holding Hope family.
Sonja & Steven Griffin
Rescue Veteran • Foster • Advocate • The “Retired” One Who Never Actually Retired
Some people get involved in animal rescue. Jo Vaughn has lived it.
More than a decade ago, Jo founded Southern Souls in Eufaula, Alabama, and she has spent her life helping animals and the people trying to save them. Long before Holding Hope came along, Jo had already made a name for herself in the rescue community through years of fostering, networking, advocating, and stepping in wherever animals needed help.
Then Jo and Mallory met, and they just clicked.
They’ve been working together ever since… although Jo will very quickly remind Mallory that she is “retired.” We’re still waiting on the retirement part to actually happen.
Jo is often the one calling when she knows of an animal or family who desperately needs help with spay/neuter or veterinary care. And when Mallory has a tiny Chihuahua or little dog needing a safe foster? There’s a pretty good chance Jo is one of the first calls she makes.
Behind the jokes about being retired is someone with an enormous heart, decades of rescue experience, and a genuine desire to make life better for animals in her community. Her knowledge, connections, and willingness to help have made her a pretty big deal in the rescue world, even if she would never say that about herself.
Holding Hope is incredibly fortunate that somewhere along the way, Jo’s “retirement” turned into working right alongside us.
Jo may have retired from rescue… but apparently rescue never retired from Jo.
Jo Vaughn
Transporter • Lifesaver • Rescue Veteran • Always There When It Matters
Dave Rice was in the rescue game long before Mallory even knew what animal rescue truly was.
For years, Dave and his beloved wife, Claire, dedicated their lives to helping animals. Together, they fostered, transported, cared for, and helped save thousands of animals. Rescue wasn’t simply something they did. It became part of the life they built together.
When Claire passed away, Dave could have understandably stepped away. Instead, he chose to keep going.
In her honor and as a way to keep her memory alive, Dave continued doing what they had always done together: showing up for animals who needed someone.
Today, he transports for dozens of shelters and rescues throughout Georgia, Florida, and Alabama, putting countless miles on the road to make sure animals get from overcrowded shelters to fosters, rescues, veterinary care, airports, and ultimately to safety.
Dave has been part of Holding Hope for years, and “reliable” doesn’t even begin to describe him. When a transport falls apart, plans change at the last minute, or Mallory makes one of those “Dave… I need a HUGE favor” phone calls, somehow he comes through, even when coming through means driving clear across two states.
He never asks for recognition. He just wants to know where the animal needs to be and when.
There are animals alive today because Dave was willing to get behind the wheel when somebody else couldn’t.
And with every mile he drives, a beautiful part of Claire’s legacy continues right alongside him.
Some people leave footprints on your heart. Dave and Claire left paw prints across three states, and Dave is still adding to them, one rescue mile at a time.
Dave Rice
Community Relations
Every rescue needs a Julie, but unfortunately for everyone else, we got ours.
Julie is one of those people who seems to know everybody, and if she doesn’t know the person we need, give her about five minutes and she’ll find somebody who does. Between her work with the Early County News, the Peanut Proud Festival, and being involved in just about everything happening in our community, Julie brings an incredible network of connections to Holding Hope through the Friends of Blakely Group.
She is persistent, fiercely determined, and not particularly interested in hearing the word “no” when there is an animal depending on the answer.
She advocates, makes phone calls, finds people, opens doors, spreads the word, and somehow manages to get things moving when the rest of us aren’t quite sure where to start.
Julie also has a huge heart for her community. She gives her time and talents to so many people and causes already, yet she continues to make room for the animals we serve.
She may not be the person standing in the kennel every day, but she’s often the person behind the scenes saying, “Hang on, I know somebody…” And sometimes, that one connection is exactly what changes an animal’s entire future.
We are incredibly lucky to have Julie in our corner.
Julie Jarrett
Chief Gratitude Officer
If you have ever received a handwritten thank-you card from Holding Hope, Karen Williams wrote it. Every single one. While the rest of us are busy chasing dogs and juggling transports, Karen makes sure the people who show up for our animals know exactly how much they mean to us. It is the kind of work that rarely gets noticed, but it is a big part of why our supporters feel like family. Karen, thank you for thanking everyone else. We figured it was about time somebody wrote one back to you.
Karen Williams
Puppy Foster Extraordinaire • Rescue Advocate • Transport Hero • Talented Photographer
Some people take a break from rescue by going on vacation, relaxing at home, or enjoying a little peace and quiet. Jana takes a break by bringing home two more puppies from the shelter. Apparently, that’s her idea of rest and relaxation.
Jana is one of those incredible fosters who never needs to be asked twice. Actually, most of the time, we don’t even have to ask her at all. We’ll make a desperate post about the shelter being full, and before we’ve even had time to panic properly, Jana is in the comments offering to take puppies home.
She has fostered countless puppies, helped move dogs into rescue, cared for cats in the past, and worked alongside multiple shelters and rescue organizations. Her heart doesn’t belong to just one rescue. It belongs to whichever animal needs her next.
One of our favorite Jana stories involves a terrified, extremely feral teenage puppy who came into rescue last year. He wasn’t a dog that could easily be placed, and most people wouldn’t have known where to begin with him. But Jana saw something worth fighting for. When it became clear he needed more than a temporary foster home, she simply made him part of her family.
Today, that once-terrified puppy is living his absolute best life in her home. And because Jana believes everybody should contribute around the house, she even gave him a job! He’s now her official foster dog tester, helping her evaluate and welcome the new dogs who come through her doors. Turns out, he’s pretty darn good at it, too.
Beyond fostering and rescue work, Jana is an incredible animal advocate and an exceptionally talented photographer. Her ability to capture an animal’s personality, beauty, and spirit is a gift that deserves far more recognition. In rescue, a photograph can be the difference between an animal being overlooked and someone falling in love. Jana has a special talent for helping people see the dogs we already know are worth saving.
What makes Jana so special isn’t just how much she does. It’s that she does it without needing recognition, without making a big production out of it, and often before anyone even realizes we need help.
At Holding Hope, we know that when the shelter is overflowing, puppies need somewhere safe to land, or another animal needs someone in their corner, there’s a pretty good chance Jana is already figuring out how to help.
Jana, thank you for being a safe place for the unwanted, a voice for the overlooked, and the kind of person who turns “I’m taking a break” into “I guess I can take two more.”
We are so grateful for your heart, your dedication, your beautiful photography, and every single life you’ve helped change. Holding Hope is better because you’re part of it.
Jana Cassels
Donor • Volunteer • Transporter • Foster
Some people find one way to help and stick with it. Jeannie looked at the list and said, “I’ll take all of them.”
She donates. She volunteers. She transports. She fosters. Whatever our animals need, there’s a good chance Jeannie has already raised her hand for it.
And when Jeannie transports, she does it in style. Just ask Ms. Bumble, who got to ride in a convertible with Jeannie. We have a feeling Ms. Bumble has been expecting that level of service ever since.
Jeannie gives her time, her home, her car, and her support, and she does it all with a generous heart and without needing anyone to notice.
Jeannie, thank you for showing up for our animals in every way you possibly can. They are lucky to have you, and so are we.
Jeannie Stark
Volunteer • Foster • Rescue Partner
Barnardsville, North Carolina • Seuk’s Army
Some people come into your life through animal rescue and end up becoming family. Jami Goodnews is one of those people.
Jami is an incredible foster, dedicated animal advocate, and a vital part of Seuk’s Army. She has opened her home and heart to countless dogs and cats, including animals most people would be afraid to take a chance on. But to Holding Hope, Jami is so much more than a foster or rescue partner. She is one of Mallory’s closest friends, someone she can always count on, and the kind of person who shows up without hesitation when someone needs her.
Their friendship began a couple of years ago with a Great Pyrenees who weighed just 23 pounds at two years old. Jami knew almost nothing about this severely neglected dog except that she desperately needed help. That was enough. Without hesitation, Jami welcomed her into her foster home and gave her the chance she deserved.
Neither Jami nor Mallory knew that one little dog would be the beginning of a friendship that would eventually carry them through one of the most devastating natural disasters in North Carolina’s history.
When Hurricane Helene approached in September 2024, Jami did what Jami always does: she stepped up. Believing the storm would hit southwest Georgia, where Holding Hope operates, she took in Holding Hope’s foster animals to keep them safe.
But Helene changed course.
Instead of devastating Holding Hope’s community, the hurricane unleashed catastrophic destruction on western North Carolina, including the area Jami called home.
The woman who had opened her doors to protect our animals suddenly found herself and those very animals in the middle of the disaster.
By some miracle, Jami, the other fosters, and the animals survived. The devastation surrounding them was heartbreaking, but their determination to protect the animals never wavered.
And this time, it was our turn to show up for her.
Holding Hope, fellow rescuers, volunteers, and supporters came together to get desperately needed supplies into the affected communities, move dogs to safety, coordinate assistance, and fly in large quantities of flea, tick, and heartworm prevention and other essential animal care supplies.
Mallory eventually traveled to North Carolina and spent an entire month helping with the cleanup and recovery efforts.
And after years of friendship, countless rescue conversations, shared emergencies, and helping each other save animals from hundreds of miles apart, Mallory and Jami finally met face-to-face for the very first time.
It took a hurricane, a whole lot of devastation, and a month of cleanup for two friends to finally meet in person. If that doesn’t perfectly describe the friendships made in animal rescue, we don’t know what does.
Today, Jami continues to be one of Holding Hope’s most treasured friends and rescue partners. Whether it’s a dog needing a safe place to land, a cat needing a second chance, an emergency requiring immediate help, or simply Mallory needing her friend, Jami is someone we know we can depend on.
Her compassion isn’t limited by county lines, state borders, or the number of animals already depending on her. She sees a need, and she finds a way to help.
Jami is proof that rescue is about so much more than saving animals. It’s about the people you meet, the friendships you build, the storms you weather together, and the family you find along the way.
We are endlessly grateful for Jami, for Seuk’s Army, and for a friendship that started with one tiny, severely neglected Great Pyrenees and grew into something neither of them could have imagined.
Some people foster animals. Some people rescue animals. And then there are people like Jami, who somehow manage to rescue a little piece of everyone around them, too.
We love you, Jami. Thank you for always being one of our people.
Jami Goodnews