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Since 2022, Carol West has been a valued member of the Tired Dog Rescue volunteer family. Her journey with TDR began after the loss of her beloved senior dog in 2021. Not long after, she adopted a puppy from TDR and that single act of love opened the door to a whole new chapter. Inspired by the incredible rescue stories shared on Facebook, Carol decided to open her home to foster dogs, helping them along their path to forever families. Today, she proudly calls herself part of the TDR team.

Carol’s favorite way to help is through fostering. She finds deep joy in giving dogs a safe place to land helping them learn to be social, feel secure, and experience love before moving on to their permanent homes. Seeing her former fosters thriving with their new families is one of the most rewarding parts of volunteering for her.

One foster memory stands out above the rest: her very first experience with TDR, when she was entrusted with two tiny six-week-old puppies. Completely unprepared for the full force of puppy chaos, Carol learned right alongside them. Their joyful little voices greeting her each morning quickly became her favorite part of the day. The puppies were adopted together, and for years Carol received Christmas photos from their family, watching them grow into the happy, loved dogs she always knew they’d become.

At home, Carol has two dogs of her own, one rescue from Texas gifted to her by her sister-in-law, and one beloved TDR puppy, affectionately known as her “COVID dog.” These two girls, she jokes, have her very well trained.

Outside of rescue, Carol took on a new challenge after retiring: learning how to play Bridge. While not easy to pick up later in life, she’s embraced it wholeheartedly and gained a wonderful group of friends along the way, friends who all know about her passion for TDR and are often the recipients of her gentle (or not-so-gentle) encouragement to adopt a dog.

Volunteering has played a meaningful role in Carol’s retirement years. She previously gave her time to the Red Cross and Memorial Hospital until Covid paused those efforts. Now, she contributes to TDR in many ways such as fostering, helping with home visits, and even transporting dogs when needed. While she humbly says she may not do as much as some, her impact is deeply felt, and the extra love from her foster pups makes it all the sweeter.

Carol’s advice to anyone considering volunteering with TDR is simple and heartfelt: jump in with both feet. Open your home, open your heart, and embrace the adventure. You may never fully know what a dog has been through, but helping them heal, trust again, and discover joy is one of the most rewarding experiences there is.

Thank you, Carol, for all you do for Tired Dog Rescue, and the lives you have touched along the way.