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Meet Our Team of Volunteers
It takes a real team effort to rescue and rehome a dog. There are so many people who generously give their time, energy and resources to identify dogs at risk, pull dogs from shelters, drive dogs on volunteer transports, provide foster homes, fund veterinary treatment and temporary boarding, evaluate a dog for adoption, process our applications, visit prospective adopters, and finally place a Setter in loving forever home.
Below are some of the people and businesses currently helping Southwest English Setter Rescue. Please click here for ways you can help.
“I adopted my first English Setter in Bellevue, WA over thirty years ago and I have shared my life with rescued English Setters ever since. My heart and efforts have always been with rescue animals and I have been lucky enough to spend the last ten years dedicated to rescuing animals, mostly English Setters and cats.
I was honored to join forces with an amazing group of rescuers to start SWESR in 2012 and help English Setters in need in our region.”
Susan – Director, Treasurer, Fundraising, Apps/Adoptions/Transport Teams, Foster Mom
I had been involved in loving and rescuing dogs for a long time before I met English Setters. My first encounter was as a transport driver, then I was asked to pull and foster a sweet girl in our local shelter who promptly climbed my fence and had to go to another foster. Shortly thereafter, I met a skinny, 9 year old boy with a serious lack of trust in humans, that had lived on the streets barely surviving, until he ended up in the local shelter. I was privileged to be loved by him for the next 5 years of his life and still miss him years after he crossed the bridge. He welcomed and played with every other foster that came through our home and was always willing to show them the ropes. Somewhere along the way, I fell in love with this breed of crazy active to calm and loving dogs. There have been many beautiful, loving setters that have passed through my home on their way to forever and I have made many human friends through their placement. I have been so blessed to be a part of SWESR and I am honored to serve as Secretary and Furever Foster Coordinator as well as being part of the Apps team. It is very rewarding to serve with such a wonderful group of people to save the lives of these sweet setters.
Charlotte – Secretary, Apps Team, Foster Mom, Furever Foster Coordinator
“Brian and I were initially introduced to the English Setter breed after taking in an emaciated stray and nursing her back to health back in 2009. Once Molly’s hair grew back, we found out she was an English Setter! She really is the reason we became so involved in rescue. We started out volunteering for transports that were going through our area but by 2010, we had our first English setter foster and have been hooked ever since. Fostering, transporting and networking animals in need have become my passion. I am so lucky I get work with a great group, working to give homeless English Setters a second chance.”
Updated 1/27/2014: “A short tribute to our Molly can be found at the following link. She made such an impact on our lives and I hope that her story can inspire others to let a rescue dog into their home and heart.”
Krystle – Intake Coordinator, Facebook & Apps Team, Foster Mom
We adopted our first English Setter, Nellie, 12 years ago from our local shelter. She was just a few months old and described as a “Dalmatian thingy” in their description! We took one look and realized she was a purebred English Setter. We soon realized she was deaf in one ear and probably turned out by a hunter. She was the love of our lives and having to let her go in December was one of the hardest things we have ever done.
We held off for only three months before realizing we had to add another Setter to our family. They are just the best dogs and there was a huge hole in our lives without one. All of our dogs have always been rescues so this decision was no different. We found SWESR and ended up adopting Barley from them. We not only have the joy of a wonderful new Setter in our lives, but also the good fortune of becoming involved with the SWESR team and trying to help these amazing dogs find new families.”
Bonnie – Database Administrator, Website Administrator, Fundraising,
Facebook, and Apps Team
Jill – Applications Team
I was lucky enough to live down the street from Susan Dunlap when SWESR was created and found my self gradually more involved in this wonderful rescue, learning more about English Setters and the challenges and joys of rescue itself. Soon enough I found myself welcoming SWESR Callie to our home and a few years after that, SWESR Abigail. Callie, now 15, and Abigail, now 11, are fabulous family members, excellent RV Campers and daily hikers, and have turned us into forever fans of this marvelous breed.
Carla – Apps Team, Medical Records Coordinator, Chagas Program Coordinator, Fundraising
It has been ten years since I watched a PBS documentary called ‘Fifteen Legs”. It was all about a volunteer transport for a dog to move from his foster home to his new adoptive family. I thought “I can do that!” and went online to see how I could volunteer. The first transport I found in my area was for a 4 month old English Setter. I fell in love and within two weeks I was volunteering to foster for an English Setter rescue group. I continue to volunteer for transports and more than 30 setters have passed through my home and heart. I have been coordinating transports for the last six years. I am grateful for all of the awesome volunteers that choose to spend their time driving a Setter to a new life. I am honored to be a part of the SWESR Team.
Caryn – Transport Coordinator
“My grandparents had field English Setters, and I have loved the breed since childhood. I started doing ‘informal’ rescue with my local English Setter Club in 1999, pulling ES from shelters, transporting, fostering, and finding adopters. I have been associated with SWESR since 2013, and I am delighted and honored to work with this great group of ES rescuers.”
Susan – Foster Dog Biographer and Foster Mom
“I adopted my first English Setter in 2007 and my second in 2011. English Setters are a special breed, requiring homes with special people to lead them. After adopting my second ES, who had lived in a very neglectful situation, I felt the need to do something to help other dogs like him. In addition, to English Setter rescue I have been actively involved in local Boxer Rescue since 2010.
I firmly believe that fostering dogs is one of the most meaningful things I have done with my life and look forward to helping English Setters through SWESR and the great group of volunteers working with this group.”
Robin – Foster Mom
Dr. Jennifer Link
Advisory Veterinarian
Stonebriar Veterinary Centre
5720 Town & Country Blvd
Frisco,TX 75034
972-712-8387