i, my name is Vanessa, also known as Girl With The Dogs, and I’m starting Barely A Dog Rescue after years of witnessing a heartbreaking pattern while working as a professional pet groomer.

Throughout my career, I’ve seen pets go without basic grooming and veterinary care simply because their owners could not afford it. These were not cases of neglect. These were people who loved their animals deeply but were overwhelmed by the cost of care. In many of those situations, I personally covered grooming or veterinary expenses because I could not stand to see an animal suffer when help was possible.

As my platform grew, so did the number of people reaching out from around the world asking for help with veterinary bills, grooming costs, or emergency care for pets they loved. I’ve continued to help wherever I could, quietly and without judgment, but the reality is that I cannot keep doing this alone. The need is simply too great, and the costs have become overwhelming.

That is why I decided to build something sustainable.

Barely A Dog Rescue will be a foster-based rescue focused on pulling very small dogs under 7 lbs from shelters and placing them into safe, loving foster homes. Many tiny dogs face ongoing medical needs, and with the right support, they can truly thrive.

Rescue, however, is only part of the mission.

Barely A Dog Rescue will also provide financial relief for veterinary care and grooming costs to pet owners experiencing financial hardship. This assistance will not be limited to small dogs and may support both dogs and cats whose families need help accessing essential care.

Too often, loving pet owners are forced into impossible choices. They want to do the right thing for their pets, but rising veterinary and grooming costs make care feel out of reach. Many animals are surrendered not because they are unwanted, but because their people simply cannot afford the help they need.

This rescue exists to help keep pets with the people who love them, while also stepping in when rescue and foster care is the safest option.

Our approach is rooted in compassion, dignity, and zero judgment. This is about helping animals without shaming the people who care for them.

What Your Support Will Help Fund

Your donations will help cover the startup and early operating costs of Barely A Dog Rescue, including:

• Licensing, insurance, legal, and nonprofit setup costs
• Veterinary care for rescued dogs and cats
• Foster support and supplies
• Emergency medical assistance for dogs and cats in need
• Grooming assistance to support health and comfort
• Website development

Every contribution helps turn years of individual efforts into a structured rescue that can help more animals, more consistently, and more responsibly.

Why This Matters

Sometimes help means pulling a tiny dog from a shelter into foster care. Sometimes it means helping a family afford a vet visit so they do not have to surrender a beloved pet. Sometimes it simply means showing people that they are not alone.

This fundraiser is about transforming compassion into action and building a safety net for pets and the people who love them.

Once the charity is fully established in Ontario, the goal is to expand into the United States as well, so we can help even more animals and families.

If you are able to donate, thank you from the bottom of my heart. If you cannot donate right now, sharing this fundraiser helps more than you may realize.

Together, we can keep pets healthy, supported, and right where they belong.

Thank you for believing in Barely A Dog Rescue at the very beginning.

Important Information About This Fundraiser

This fundraiser is for personal gifts to support Vanessa in her work to establish a future animal rescue charity.

At this time, the nonprofit entity is not yet incorporated or registered as a charity in Canada or the United States. As such:

• All funds raised through this Fundahope campaign are personal gifts to Vanessa, intended solely to support the startup and administrative costs involved in forming a nonprofit animal rescue.
• These funds are not tax-deductible in Canada or the United States. Contributions to this fundraiser should not be considered charitable donations.
• Funds raised will be used for early-stage startup expenses such as legal and incorporation fees, administrative setup, supplies, and other preparatory costs required to launch the rescue.
• All funds from this campaign are being kept separate from personal spending and are tracked specifically for charity startup purposes.
• Once the nonprofit is formally incorporated, all future fundraising will be conducted directly by the legal entity, not through personal fundraising platforms.

Thank you for supporting the early groundwork required to build a responsible, transparent, and compliant animal rescue organization.