Ruff Start Rescue

Ruff Start Rescue Ruff Start Rescue is a foster-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal rescue committed to connecting people and pets.
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We're devoted to saving at-risk companion animals' lives while empowering animal lovers with essential resources. We strive for a world where every companion animal has a safe and loving home and their family has the knowledge and resources needed to give them the life they deserve. Sign up for our newsletter here>>> https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/i608vLZ/newsletter

Kennel license issued

by the MN Board of Animal Health . Ruff Start is 100% foster-based but has kennels for temporary housing.

11/20/2025

The Power Hour starts NOW, and it’s all for Kittee! 💙
From 10:00–10:59 AM, every $1,000 donated will unlock one of Kittee’s bucket-list treats or activities!
Kittee is our hospice sweetheart with suspected osteosarcoma, and today, your generosity will help fill her golden days with happiness. For every $1,000 raised this hour, she’ll receive one of her favorite comforts, like:
• A soft, yummy treat
• A brand-new toy
• A frozen Kong
• A gentle tennis ball fetch session
• A cozy new blanket
• And more surprises her foster knows she’ll adore
We’re LIVE on Facebook, sharing each bucket-list moment in real time. Tune in and cheer Kittee on!
Your gift is doubled today thanks to an $80,000 match!
Donate now: https://www.givemn.org/organization/Ruffstartrescue

11/20/2025

The Power Hour starts NOW, and it’s all for Kittee! 💙

From 10:00–10:59 AM, every $1,000 donated will unlock one of Kittee’s bucket-list treats or activities!

Kittee is our hospice sweetheart with suspected osteosarcoma, and today, your generosity will help fill her golden days with happiness. For every $1,000 raised this hour, she’ll receive one of her favorite comforts, like:
• A soft, yummy treat
• A brand-new toy
• A frozen Kong
• A gentle tennis ball fetch session
• A cozy new blanket
• And more surprises her foster knows she’ll adore

We’re LIVE on Facebook, sharing each bucket-list moment in real time. Tune in and cheer Kittee on!

Your gift is doubled today thanks to an $80,000 match!

Donate now: https://www.givemn.org/organization/Ruffstartrescue

11/20/2025

A message from Azure Davis, Ruff Start Rescue's Founder & Executive Director

When I think back to 2010, I remember sending out a simple plea for help. I didn’t have a plan; I just knew one dog needed saving. What happened next was only possible because people like you stepped forward. Your compassion turned one rescue into a community of thousands.

What has carried me through the years are the eyes of the animals who need us. The fear, the uncertainty, and the small glimmer of hope that reminds us why this work matters. They deserve safety and healing, and you help make that possible.

Fifteen years later, that same need is still here. And what gives me strength is knowing this mission is not mine alone. Every foster who opens their home, every volunteer who shows up, every supporter who believes in this work helps carry each life that comes through our doors. You make this work extraordinary.

Because of this community, you help families stay connected with the pets they love, ensure access to affordable care, and remove barriers that stand in the way of safety and stability. This is only the beginning, and it is just one small part of why, together, we are More Than Rescue.

Being More Than Rescue means supporting animals while also uplifting the people and communities who care for them. Since the beginning, more than 31,000 animals have been saved and we have hosted 12 Wellness Clinics that provided vital care to hundreds of pets in need. In the last year alone, we donated 28,000 pounds of food and supplies to families and, on average, took in 12 animals a day. Behind every number is a life you helped heal.

One of those lives is Tad Arthur. When he arrived, he was fragile, afraid, and in pain. With care and time, he grew stronger. His eyes softened. His spirit returned. One day, he found the courage to wag his tail again. Today, he is safe and loved with his family. You made that possible.

Give to the Max Day shapes what we can do in the year ahead. Thanks to a generous group of supporters, every dollar you give today will be matched, up to $80,000. Your gift will go twice as far for the animals and families who need you.

Your support expands access to pet care, strengthens families, and creates more stories like Tad’s.

Thank you for standing with us, for believing in this mission, and for making hope possible. Because of you, Ruff Start Rescue will always be More Than Rescue.

With heartfelt gratitude,
Azure Davis
Executive Director & Founder
Ruff Start Rescue

Get ready for a heart-melting Power Hour this … because tomorrow morning is ALL about Kittee. 🎉Kittee is our hospice sw...
11/20/2025

Get ready for a heart-melting Power Hour this … because tomorrow morning is ALL about Kittee. 🎉

Kittee is our hospice sweetheart living with osteosarcoma. She came to Ruff Start Rescue after nearly being euthanized, but one look at her gentle spirit, and we knew she deserved so much more.

Her foster shared:
“It broke my heart to think how close she came to never getting the chance to show the world her sweetness and strength. Every day with her is a gift. She’s a reminder that rescue is about so much more than saving a life — it’s about creating a bond built on trust, compassion, and joy. Instead of giving up on her, Ruff Start made sure she’d get to live out her days surrounded by love, care, and comfort.

Even with her diagnosis, Kittee’s spirit hasn’t dimmed for a moment. She greets every new day with joy — ready to explore the outdoors, sniff every leaf, and give all the love she has to offer. She’s taught me so much about resilience, gratitude, and living in the moment. Kittee shows what it means to truly rescue: not just saving a life, but celebrating it every single day.”

Tomorrow, during the 10:00–10:59 AM Power Hour, you can help make Kittee’s day extra special.

What’s a Power Hour?
From 10:00–10:59 AM and again from 10:00–10:59 PM, the top three Minnesota nonprofits that raise the most on GiveMN.org split a $6,000 prize pool, giving your donation an even bigger impact.

For every $1,000 donated during the Power Hour, Kittee will receive one of her favorite bucket-list treats or activities, such as:

• A soft, delicious treat
• A brand-new toy
• A frozen Kong stuffed with her favorites
• A tennis ball session outside
• A cozy new blanket
• And more surprises her foster knows she’ll love

We’ll be going LIVE on Facebook during the Power Hour so you can watch each moment of happiness unfold in real time. 💙

Donate between 10–11 AM at https://www.givemn.org/organization/Ruffstartrescue

Last Saturday, we put into action. 💙At our Community Giveback Day, we welcomed around 200 people who stopped by to pic...
11/19/2025

Last Saturday, we put into action. 💙

At our Community Giveback Day, we welcomed around 200 people who stopped by to pick up free pet food and supplies to help keep their animals safe, healthy, and at home.

Thanks to our community’s generosity, we distributed:

🐾 5,883.98 pounds of pet food
🐾 7,681 pet supplies, including treats, collars, harnesses, enrichment toys, leashes, and more
🐾 26% more supplies than last year’s event

This event wasn’t just about giving out food; it was about easing financial stress, honoring the connection people share with their pets, and preventing surrenders before they happen. Because rescue isn’t only about responding after crisis… it’s about supporting families before they reach a breaking point.

To everyone who donated, volunteered, shared the event, or attended, thank you. You helped local pets stay where they belong: with the people who love them.

Tomorrow is Give to the Max Day! 💙Your donation helps provide life-saving care for the 3,600+ animals who will come thro...
11/19/2025

Tomorrow is Give to the Max Day! 💙

Your donation helps provide life-saving care for the 3,600+ animals who will come through Ruff Start Rescue’s doors in the coming year. Every dollar goes directly toward veterinary needs, from spays and neuters to emergency surgeries, medications, and routine check-ups.

As we were closing our doors last night, a woman rushed in holding a kitten so sick… we couldn’t even see her eyes. Just...
11/19/2025

As we were closing our doors last night, a woman rushed in holding a kitten so sick… we couldn’t even see her eyes. Just swollen, bright-red tissue where sight should have been. She was tiny, barely 1.6 pounds, weak, sneezing, burning with infection. And yet, the moment we touched her, she purred.

This is Anne Bonney.

Found alone on a gravel road in Milaca, desperately ill, and turned away from multiple vet clinics because no one could help. By the time she reached us, her eyes were so severely infected we still don’t know if they can be saved, and even if they are, she may never see again.

But try telling her that she’s sick.

She climbs onto her foster’s shoulder like a fearless pirate, rumbling with purrs, soaking up every bit of love she’s offered. She refuses to give up.

This Give to the Max Day, Anne Bonney represents exactly why rescue matters. Animals who are overlooked, out of chances, and suffering, yet still fighting. Your donation today helps provide the emergency veterinary care she needs, the medications keeping infection at bay, and the ongoing treatment that could change the course of her life.

She walked into our building on the brink.
Your gift can help her walk into a future she deserves. 💙

Franny is the sweetest little mama who somehow stays cool, calm, and collected right in the middle of household chaos. 😻...
11/18/2025

Franny is the sweetest little mama who somehow stays cool, calm, and collected right in the middle of household chaos. 😻

She adores dogs (yes, she gives them head-butts!), “talks” nonstop, and lines up with the pack at mealtime like it’s her job. She may not be big on cuddles yet, but once her five wild boys are off her paws, we’re pretty sure this stunning girl will be ready for all the affection.

https://ruffstartrescue.org/adopt/adoptable-animals/adopt-cats-and-kittens/

Give to the Max Day reminds us that the work we do is bigger than saving animals. It’s about changing lives, building co...
11/18/2025

Give to the Max Day reminds us that the work we do is bigger than saving animals. It’s about changing lives, building community, and creating hope when it’s needed most.

For Rachel, a Ruff Start foster and volunteer, everything began with one life-changing phone call.

“In 2017, I bought my first house, and I knew I needed a cat to make it a home. That’s when I met Ellie at a local impound. She came to me declawed and was struggling with litter box issues as a result. I was assured these issues wouldn’t persist, but unfortunately, that turned out not to be the case.”

Unsure where to turn as she faced overwhelming challenges, Rachel reached out to Ruff Start on a whim, just hoping for advice.

“Within hours, someone from Ruff Start called me and walked me through everything I could try to help Ellie. By the end of that call, I was in tears—not because I had to give up my baby, but because someone had finally given me hope and a lifeline.”

That moment changed everything. Rachel signed up to volunteer almost immediately and attended orientation in January 2018. A month later, she welcomed her first foster animal, and she’s never looked back.

Since then, Rachel has fostered 329 animals and become a vital part of the rescue, supporting owner surrender applications, helping run adoption centers, and stepping up for some of the most vulnerable pets.

“I’ve discovered a passion I never knew existed and met incredible people who have become some of my closest friends.”

Along the way, she’s also welcomed three beloved pets into her home through foster failure, each one meant to be part of her family. And Ellie, the cat who started it all, is still by her side, greeting new fosters and reminding her daily of the power of love, patience, and second chances.

Rachel now takes on all kinds of foster challenges, from bottle babies to animals with medical needs, and has learned skills she never imagined, supported every step of the way by Ruff Start’s dedicated team.

“Fostering isn’t always easy, but every time I face a challenge, need advice, or want to celebrate a victory, the Ruff Start community shows up without fail.”

Eight years later, what began as a moment of desperation turned into lifelong purpose, friendships, and hundreds of second chances for animals in need.

“I’ll always be thankful to Ruff Start for that first phone call that changed my life entirely.”

This Give to the Max Day, you can help create more stories like Rachel’s. Stories of hope, connection, and lives transformed on both ends of the leash.

Congratulations to the pets adopted the week of November 2nd, and their new families! 🥳AlbertApolloApple CiderApple Cris...
11/18/2025

Congratulations to the pets adopted the week of November 2nd, and their new families! 🥳

Albert
Apollo
Apple Cider
Apple Crisp
Archie
Ash
Bandit
Bella
Bilbo
Breadstick
Buttercup
Butters
Candyman
Checkers
Christine
Cielo
Delphi
Dennis
Domino
Ember
Hamilton
Harlow
Herman Munster
Huntley
Kee Mao
Kenleigh
Lafufu
Mara
Maximus Scruff
Melon
Nosferatu
Odis
Oscar
PeanutButter
PumpkinMouse
Radish
Rain
Raymond
Rose
Sangria
Sonnie
Spice
Squash
Sylvester
Taylor
Tigger
Tortilla
Tweedle Dee
Tweedle Dum
Twizzler
Whiskey
Wilbur

Find your new best friend at: https://ruffstartrescue.org/adopt/

When Tina’s mother could no longer care for her beloved pets due to Alzheimer’s, her family was faced with an impossible...
11/17/2025

When Tina’s mother could no longer care for her beloved pets due to Alzheimer’s, her family was faced with an impossible decision. What would happen to her dogs, Baby and Bella? Thankfully, Ruff Start Rescue was there to help.

“My mother's loyal companions, Baby and Bella, were with her through her journey with Alzheimer's and have been her ONLY source of joy as she navigates this dreadful disease. When she could no longer care for them, I faced the heartbreaking task of rehoming them. After countless shelters turned us away, my hope was fading—until I found Ruff Start Rescue. They were the ONLY organization willing to keep the bonded pair together. Within a week, they found a foster home, and soon after, Baby and Bella were adopted together. For my mother, the loss has been traumatic, but for my family, knowing the girls are in their forever home and receiving unconditional love is a tremendous comfort.”

When we say Ruff Start Rescue is More Than Rescue, this is what we mean. We’re not just saving animals, we’re supporting families through life’s hardest moments.

Early Giving for is underway, and your support ensures we can continue helping animals and families. 💙

Sweat for a cause! 🐾Join us Saturday, November 22, from 10-11 AM for a full-body SashaFIT workout benefiting Ruff Start ...
11/17/2025

Sweat for a cause! 🐾

Join us Saturday, November 22, from 10-11 AM for a full-body SashaFIT workout benefiting Ruff Start Rescue! This all-levels class at Mall of America lululemon will get you moving, sweating, and feeling good, all while helping animals in need. Mats and equipment are provided; just bring water and workout gear.

Stick around after class to meet some adorable adoptable pups!

Reserve your spot:
RSVP + donate any amount to on Venmo (add “RSR lululemon” in the memo). Recommended donation: $25. Space is limited!

Questions? Email [email protected]

Address

12526 319th Avenue
Princeton, MN
55371

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+17633553981

Website

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Our Rescue Story

Hope’s days were numbered in an overcrowded Ohio shelter in January 2010. The pit bull mix was suffering—emaciated and suffering with heartworm. Azure was no stranger to helping animals in need. She spent her childhood growing up on 50 acres and saving animals of all shapes and sizes, including cats, dogs, squirrels, raccoons, and birds. So when Hope’s picture with her final plea for a home popped up on Azure’s Facebook timeline, she didn’t hesitate to help. The 23-year-old told the shelter she would take Hope as part of a newly developing rescue in her hometown in central Minnesota.

Swiftly, she arranged ground transportation from Ohio to Illinois where a volunteer pilot and his wife from Pilots N Paws waited for Hope’s arrival. The couple flew Hope and another rescue dog directly to the Princeton, MN, airport. Once the plane touched down, Ruff Start Rescue had officially taken in its first rescue dog. True to her nature, Hope was in good spirits. She was placed with a wonderful foster family that was able to give her some much-deserved love, attention, and care. Unsurprisingly, Hope won over her foster family and was adopted by them. And so began Ruff Start Rescue.

Hope was the first companion animal rescued by Ruff Start Rescue since its foundation and the gateway to a career for Azure, who still acts as the rescue’s president and executive director. Ruff Start is a figurehead of the central Minnesota animal welfare community and has served as the Princeton area’s sole non-profit 501c3 animal rescue organization since July 2010.