Bonnie Poole
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My animal rescue involvement started as a child when I would bring home homeless or injured animals and care for them. My pit bull specific efforts started about 10 years ago.
I am a graduate of Wentworth Institute of Technology and currently work as a Business Development Analyst. While attending school I began volunteering at a local Boston shelter. It very quickly came to my attention that the pits came through the shelter like water, often times not making it out 
While I cared for all the dogs I instantly took more to the pit bulls. I fell in love with each and every one and they will all have an everlasting place in my heart. One in particular, however, left a mark a bit deeper. He was a young brindle male. He was a big strong boy, an absolutely beautiful dog! Someone had hacked his ears completely off probably with the goal of making him look tough. And while he did look tough on the outside, through his eyes I could see the gentle beast within and his personality proved to be just that. I would spend as much time as I could with him during the time he was there but as often times happens his fate was not that of a happy one. Tragically, the shelter is where his life ended. His time ran out and no one came for him. At the very moment I learned of his fate I knew I would always be involved in the rescue efforts of these genuinely beautiful creatures. I still think of him from time to time and cry. There were countless other dogs that I got to know, his story is one of many all too similar. So many were never even brought out onto the adoption floor, scarred inside and out they were just left behind because of human ignorance. Although I always looked forward to my work at the shelter, often times I would leave knowing some of the friends I had made the week before wouldn’t be there the next. It was bittersweet but I knew it would always be a part of my life. Every bit counts towards making a difference….that’s what I kept telling myself. And if anything in the world deserves a difference, it’s them!
Since that time I have been involved with many rescue efforts. I have helped numerous rescue organizations raise money for this very important cause. I’ve been a foster to many dogs and have taken in dogs in need un-affiliated with organizations and worked to get them into rescues for proper adoption. I’ve learned a great deal over the years working with these tremendous animals and the more time I spend with them the more I feel compelled to help save them. They truly are a gift!
I adopted my dog Otter 3 ½ years ago. He was a rescue…..a stray running the streets of Boston. I picked him up the very same day I moved into my house. We moved in together! Truthfully, I bought my house so I could rescue dogs. Since that time we have shared our home with numerous fosters. Otter making friends with each of them and helping some of them learn how to be house dogs and sometimes just dogs in general.
These animals mean the world to me. They stand for so much in my life. Helping to give them some justice, spreading the word and changing people’s minds on their misinterpreted image is something I will always take very seriously. Being a part of PLR and working for the same cause with a truly dedicated group of people gives me back some faith in mankind, which at times is otherwise hard to find. I am honored to be a part of the PLR team and no words can describe what saving one of these incredible animal’s lives means to me. Without them in my life I just wouldn’t be complete!