Rhode Island may be the smallest state, but its animal rescuers have some big hearts. We picked ADRI (The Abandoned Dogs of Rhode Island) for our latest rescue visit on our Adventure Of A Lifetime, and we were excited to meet its founder, Alyssa Danielson.

Our first impression of Alyssa was that she unselfishly dedicates herself to her passion, making a difference for animals not only in her immediate community, but beyond.

She graciously invited us in, along with Brickle and Digby, into one of her two places of work, a dog boarding facility. She made us feel so welcome, and we could feel that her dogs felt welcome here as well. Her goals and mission were made very clear.  She is not only passionate about rescue, but has definite goals and aspirations to keep making a big difference.

We have found that many animal rescuers like Alyssa wear many hats and have many jobs to make ends meet, all to support the animals in their care. Alyssa’s dedication and passion showed through in every word she spoke.

She told us about many of her experiences with animals that were hard to place or deemed “unadoptable”. She told us that those were the cases that inspired her. Knowing immediately when an animal needed special care, she would take it upon herself to embrace the challenge. Animals with behavior issues, or who had been through tragic circumstances were ones that many rescues or shelters would shy away from. Not Alyssa.

We met Choco, a striking dog with a big and happy personality. A boxer mix, Choco is excited to meet people, but sadly, has never been in a home environment. After a rough start in life, Alyssa explained that it took time to make Choco feel secure, but this took work. After six months of being in her care, Alyssa wants nothing more for Choco then to find his forever family and find out what it feels like to snuggle on a real couch. Alyssa takes seriously placing her animals. She doesn’t care about placement numbers. She explained that she makes a promise to every one of the animals that she rescues that they will never end up back in the system, or in the wrong person’s hands. Seeing the look in Choco’s eyes as he gazed up at Alyssa on this Rhode Island afternoon was the only success story we needed to hear. Yes, Choco still hasn’t found his forever home, but he will with Alyssa’s help. Find out more about Choco by visiting his Petfinder page.

We also met senior gent, Craven.

Craven’s owner passed away, and he found himself without a home. Such a patient and loving soul, he was a great addition to our latest episode of “Stop Hounding Me” , and you will see why we chose ADRI for our Rhode Island rescue!

As the video shows, Alyssa finds innovative ways to feed the animals in her care not only with food, but love, enrichment and care.

We believe that many other rescues can learn from Alyssa and her efforts by finding ways to make the animals in their care enjoy every single day in a special way, whether that be extra walks, exercise or stimulating activities. But in order to accomplish this, rescues like ADRI need volunteers. Fosters, volunteers and donations are surely needed for Alyssa’s rescue and others.

Find out how to help by visiting their website, check out their adoptable dogs like Choco and Craven, and visit their Facebook page for events and news. Donations are always needed and can be made via their website.

Brickle and Digby thanks Alyssa for her hospitably in letting them hang out in the office and for showing us how a small rescue in a small state can make a very big difference.

Thanks to our sponsors, Your Dog’s Diner, Bowser Beer, SqueakNSnap, and 4-Legger.