The bond I formed with my own rescue dog, Ruby, inspired me to write RUFF Riders and share the incredible journey she took from being born to an uncertain future, to her furever home, with my family. Through this book, I hope to raise awareness for the urgent need for fostering, adopting a rescue and community support in the world of animal rescue.

The heartwarming tale of RUFF Riders is inspired by Ruby, my beloved dog, whose true rescue story touched her deeply. Ruby was born in a shed hidden within the woods of Angier, North Carolina, and was subsequently adopted through Rescue Ur Furever Friend, an animal rescue organization. Throughout the adoption process, I encountered startling facts about the plight of shelter animals, leading her to embark on a mission to raise awareness and rally support for the desperate need for responsible adoptions, donations, and most importantly, fostering of rescued puppies and dogs. 

Statistics reveal the urgent nature of this cause: every year, six million dogs and cats enter animal shelters or rescues, with at least one million euthanized due to insufficient funding and space in under-resourced shelters. I believe that educating the public about the distinction between animal shelters and rescues, as well as inspiring individuals to volunteer as foster caretakers, can significantly transform the lives of these innocent animals. Fostering not only provides temporary homes but also offers families the opportunity to assess their readiness for permanent pet ownership.

RUFF Riders delivers a powerful message, encouraging readers to FOSTER, ADOPT A RESCUE, AND/OR DONATE to their local animal rescues. The novel follows eleven-year-old Olivia Thomas, who dreams of having a dog but faces hesitant parents who question her level of responsibility. When she learns about an abandoned dog and her puppies delivered in a nearby forest, Olivia, along with her friend April and tech-savvy companion, Quinn, initiates a rescue operation that ultimately involves the press and her community. Teaming up with Rescue Ur Furever Friend, a local volunteer animal rescue group, they embark on a challenging journey that requires unwavering determination and community support. 

Accompanied by a menu of community service options that appear as plot points in the story, and detailed on my website, book club questions printed at the back of the book are designed to get families to think about what strengths they can use to engage in meaningful activities related to animal rescue. I aim to inspire multi-generation book clubs for parents, grandparents and kids 8+. 

Through empathy, teamwork, and responsibility, RUFF Riders encourages readers to recognize that every effort, no matter how small, contributes to the greater cause of saving animal’s lives. A portion of the proceeds from RUFF Riders will be donated to Rescue Ur Forever Friend (NC RUFF) in Garner, North Carolina, a remarkable organization dedicated to rescuing and finding forever homes for countless animals in need.

I invite readers to join me in supporting NC RUFF by visiting their website, www.ncruff.org and exploring avenues of contribution, including fostering, adopting a rescue, and making monetary or in-kind donations.