LEXINGTON, Ky. — A new dog-saving agency is opening doors its for abandoned, stray, and any dogs needing a special place to call home.
President and co-founder, Mara Delaus is helping connect Kentucky’s canines to the care they need through the Saved by Fate rescue program. The animal lover has been involved in pet-inspired programs in her hometown in New York—and now here, in Kentucky.
“I got more involved when I moved to Kentucky. I volunteered for a fellow bully breed pitbull rescue starting in 2019 just doing again adoption events, helping out selling merch and holding dogs.” Delaus explained how she started.
Delaus says she always planned to take her support for animals and especially dogs to the next level.
In 2022, she partnered with Saved by Fate. They are pet rescue team saving dogs in central Kentucky from euthanasia, shelters and other conditions.
The group of rescuers helps find those dogs — and provides direct care, health and stability until they are adopted.
Lexington’s Animal Control sees nearly 5,500 stray and or abandoned animals every year — saving as many dogs as possible inspires Delaus even through challenges.
“I recently actually had to set some boundaries and set rescue hours for myself. So I try to stay between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. because there are no vacations, there are no holidays with rescue and it’s 24/7,” she said.
But it’s why they host as many community get-togethers as possible. Recently, they hosted puppy yoga with Myriad Meadery.
“There’s always dogs and then it’s very stressful so we like to do fun events like this, we put the fun in a fundraiser,” Delaus said.
The events also encourage animals who have little experience with people to grow. It helps the group’s overall goal to show their services and keep the four-legged pals going.
“To be a very community-oriented rescue in the sense that we’re not only saving dogs but that we also offer free spay and neuter assistance, and so sometimes that’s a matter of being able to keep their dog or not,” Delaus said.