I wasn’t looking to adopt or foster when I received a forwarded email asking for an emergency foster from my mom; but, I opened it anyway out of curiosity. Staring back at me was this sugar faced black lab, all smiles. He was an older guy, brought into a high kill county shelter after someone left him in their backyard to fend for himself. Although I was still mourning the loss of my Shih-Tzu from Lymphoma only 7 months before, I couldn’t let this old guy go.

He was pulled from the Euthanasia list at the 11th hour by a small village and brought to my apartment the very next day to rest comfortably his new home. It was readily apparent that my first foster was going to be a foster failure.

What I couldn’t see in the above photo was that he was emaciated. His teeth were ground to nubs from eating rocks and other things a dog shouldn’t eat just to stop his hunger. He was already suffering from Separation Anxiety and was about to eat my blinds, break through a gate and ruin my carpet.

Not long after he graced my life, I endured the pain of a miscarriage. As I sat on my bed in a heap of tears, he put his paw on my hand and nuzzled his head into my chest. He never left my side. He was the gentlest soul with little kids and licked their cheek to make them smile. He loved his shank bones and going to the community dog park. He loved other dogs. He was in love with car rides - even when he started losing his sight. He smiled so big so much of the time, he was nicknamed “Miles of Smiles.”

Sadly, I was blessed with only 4 of the shortest years imaginable with him. He was already estimated to be between 8-10 years old when he was brought into the shelter, so he was closer to 12-14 when he deteriorated quickly from Degenerative Myelopathy (i.e. Doggy Dementia). Within 6 months of symptom onset and with a broken and shattered heart, I had to help him to the Rainbow Bridge on October 14, 2015 so he could be whole again.

He’s the reason.
He’s the namesake behind Miles of Smiles.

THE “DO” OF MILES OF SMILES RESCUE

50% of ALL profits from canvas sales and pet photography goes into the Miles of Smiles Rescue.

The goal of MoSR is to place dogs and cats from kill shelters into permanent homes of Military Veterans, First Responders (police officers, firefighters, EMT’s/Paramedics, 911 Dispatchers, Nurses/Doctors, etc) AT NO CHARGE to the new family.

The general public is, of course, welcomed to and encouraged to adopt through MoSR. The adoption fee is $75 and will go directly to helping another furkid escape certain death at a kill shelter, spay/neuter fees, chip fees, as well as any other necessary medical costs associated with rescuing.

LOFTY GOALS….ARE LOFTY!
The main goal of MoSR is to clear the entirety of a local kill shelter by placing every animal into a permanent, loving, furever home. |
Ultimately to become a travel rescue - RV’ing around the country, clearing kill shelters and transporting furkids to their permanent furever homes.

100% of ALL donations go directly to the Miles of Smiles Rescue.
(Clicking the Donate button will take you to a secure page. You can select the amount you want to donate or enter your own amount)

** PLEASE NOTE **
This rescue organization does not have 501c3 status YET.
The first $1400 received will immediately and directly go toward the necessary filings and licenses with the State of Florida (taxes, 501c3 status, etc) and the IRS.
{everything is filed through LegalZoom}

All amounts raised above $1400 will automatically go toward pulling dogs and cats out of kill shelters and placing them in permanent homes
immediately upon receipt of 501c3 status.