"My aunt saw a RAGOM brochure and picked one up for me. Volunteering seemed the perfect way to honor my mom's generous spirit and my Golden, Casey. Twelve years later, the dogs keep me going.

"I have many memories of RAGOM. First and foremost is rescuing my current RAGOM dog Nala 05-221 from boarding, where she had been for six months. I have many other memories including the years of being a transport coordinator, which required creative logistics planning.

"I talked to many shelter managers we worked with, and some of their stories were absolutely heartbreaking. Becoming a RAGOM dog is like winning the lottery compared to the fate of some shelter dogs."

The 2007 North Dakota breeding operation rescue also stands out for Tracy. She recalls when a large truck pulled into the RAGOM office and the back door opened, "revealing 87 or so dogs that were scared, whose fate was controlled by humans, and having no idea that they were the lucky ones. That was an emotional moment. Then we all got to work."