Save Our Strays Vermont

Save Our Strays Vermont (SOS) is an animal rescue organization located in Vermont which is dedicated to sheltering and sustaining the lives of companion animals. They are a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization, and are staffed by a team of volunteers who donate their time, love and effort to assist animals in need.
Save Our Strays is a "No-Kill" organization, meaning they do not euthanize healthy adoptable pets. Over the years, many dogs, cats and other small furry creatures have called Save Our Strays their 'sanctuary home' because they were not adoptable due to medical or behavioral issues. Save Our Strays has many "retirees" at their facility. These pets require continuous care and are currently "non-adoptable" due to age, medical condition or other issues. Save Our Strays VT is committed to caring for these animals until they live out their remaining years. Due to space, SOS is limited when adding new animals into our program.
Save Our Strays Vermont was founded in 1995 by college graduate and former professional wrestler Lisa "The Adjuster" Haynes. Haynes remains a member in good standing of "Cauliflower Alley Club", a fraternal/benevolent organization .
The catalyst behind the founding of Save Our Strays began when Haynes (then living in Florida) came across a stray dog with open sores and an obvious case of mange, and badly in need of help. Haynes sought treatment from her vet who cared for her own three family dogs - all rescues. The vet recommended euthanasia, but Haynes was determined to give the pooch a fighting chance to survive. Haynes sought continued assistance from dozens of animal welfare organizations, both local and national, and not one would offer any financial aid, or even offer a bag of pet food. Haynes found this extremely frustrating, would not allow herself to get discouraged.
Haynes began to research pet nutrition and began giving the dog supplements such as brewers yeast, bone meal powder, and garlic. The dog soon started showing signs of improved health, and within six weeks, this loving Shiloh Shepherd developed into a confident 90-lb. pooch with a beautiful silky coat. Eventually, a loving home was found for the dog, who had inspired Save Our Strays mission: "To shelter and sustain the lives of companion animals".
With her new knowledge of pet nutrition, Haynes compiled a list of pet food recipes which became the book "Treasured Recipes For Treasured Pets". The book received a very favorable review from "Dog Fancy" magazine, and the proceeds from book sales enabled Haynes to pay the initial start-up costs of forming SOS. Now residing in rural Vermont, Haynes runs the pet rescue from her modest mountain home.
As of November 2010, Haynes has placed over 3,000 cats & dogs into forever homes. She appears regularly on WOKO radio & WCAX-TV with pets available for adoption. Many of the pets she has rescued have required extensive & expensive medical care. This includes a cat mauled by a predator animal, an abandoned dog who went blind, and even a dog with a bullet fragment in it. When lightning struck a home in Monkton, VT, the subsequent fire killed the occupant, and left 14 cats homeless and scared among the remaining rubble. Haynes was able to "round them all up", have them vetted and placed each of them in a new home..
Save Our Strays raises 100% of its own funding by attending various events, fairs,and functions. Additionally, there is a reasonable adoption fee donation which covers the costs of an initial vet checkup and the potential subsequent care, as well as mandatory neutering or spaying.
For the past thirteen years, Haynes, accompanied by husband Roy and a pooch, have spent Christmas Day visiting the less fortunate residents of Burlington, VT nursing homes . Haynes' sacrifice and the dedicated efforts of Save Our Strays have been recognized locally by the United Way HOMETOWN HERO Award and nationally by Halo - Ellen DeGeneres.

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