Our Team

OUR HISTORY

Soul Dog Rescue started work in 2010 to help save animals from suffering and mistreatment due to overpopulation and lack of resources in the Four Corners area comprised of Colorado, Arizona, Utah and New Mexico. Preaching "responsible rescue" tactics, Soul Dog places major emphasis on spay/neuter and vaccination as a proactive response to the overpopulation and general health struggles that permeate life on the Tribal Lands of the region. With a firm belief that no animal should be denied access to basic veterinary care, especially sterilization and vaccination, due to financial implications or lack of resources, a major push to provide free and donation-based services on the Ute Mountain, Navajo and Hopi lands has been and will continue to be priority number one. Both mobile and MASH programs are used to both reach the most remote animals and also service the largest numbers of animals at each clinic.

Rescue, adoption and rehab became a necessity due to the lack of viable options for unwanted and abandoned animals. Refusing to turn our backs on the massive number of animals in need, there was no other option than to create programs and vehicles to provide for these animals and remove them from the reservations. This program has resulted in over 15,000 animals transported off of Tribal Lands to other areas for vetting and adoption. Partnering with animal control has been a hugely beneficial relationship for the animals and the partnership continues to result in thousands of lives saved each year. As awareness about available resources on Tribal Lands has grown, so has the quantity of our work and the people becoming aware of available options. This has resulted in a noticeable change for the better and a slight cultural shift in care and consideration for the animals. More people are rescuing animals in their reservation communities and choosing humane solutions than ever before.

New in 2018 was the purchase and opening of the Soul Dog Rescue Adoption Center and Low-Cost Spay/Neuter clinic in Fort Lupton, Colorado. Purchased from the former Every Creature Counts organization, the building has required several thousand dollars of upgrades and improvements and is still a work in progress, but it is fully functional and home to several hundred cats and dogs at a time. The clinic provides low-cost services to both the general public and other rescue organizations.

VETERINARY TECHNICIANS

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

Our foster coordinator helps pair our dogs and cats in foster homes.

Email our Foster Coordinator!

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My journey in animal rescue began in 2019 when I adopted my first do. It completely changed my life—he saved me as much as I saved him. As the pandemic unfolded, I felt a strong desire to contribute to something greater than myself. This led me to begin volunteering with Soul Dog Rescue in July 2021. From my first adoption event, I was inspired to become a dedicated weekly volunteer, eventually taking on the leadership of the Church Ranch adoption events every Saturday. Recognizing the opportunity to do even more, I embraced the role of Foster Coordinator, where I could leverage my organizational skills, ambition, and drive to support both animals in need and their future families. Though my background is not in animal welfare, my commitment to making a difference has allowed me to succeed and grow in this position. Outside of rescue work, I enjoy spending time with my family and two dogs, exploring the outdoors through hiking, experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen, and traveling to experience the beauty of the world around us.

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In loving memory of our friend and colleague, Dr. Kerry Parker.

As one of the original founding members of our Fort Lupton Shelter and Clinic, and as Soul Dog's primary veterinarian for Tribal Land clinics and New Mexico clinics, Kerry was a huge and integral part of the heartbeat of Soul Dog for many years. There was rarely a clinic held in the States or Internationally that Dr. Parker didn't take part in. She was an extremely skilled, yet fast surgeon who really honed and perfected the art of "High-Volume, High-Quality Spay/Neuter". Not many could do it like Dr. Parker could, and not many have hitched their wagon to the work that we are doing and have been "all-in" like Dr. Parker was. Undoubtedly in her element helping the people and animals in places like Ecuador and American Samoa, we all saw that side of Dr. Parker that showed us that she was without question in the "right" place in her life, doing what she was put here to do.

Sadly, we lost her much too soon and the animal world lost a true hero. After not feeling great for a couple months, Dr. Parker was diagnosed with a vicious form of pancreatic cancer in September/October 2018 and tragically she passed within weeks at home in Texas with her sisters. The Soul Dog Family misses our friend and colleague each and every day. Kerry will always be with us and always considered a huge part of what we have become, as we would not be where we are without her being part of the team!

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Shelby Davis, Founder & Director

Founder and Director, Shelby Davis, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Soul Dog Rescue. Since 2010, Shelby has been at the helm of the organization and overseen numerous changes and growth during her tenure. Shelby's foray into animal welfare began in 2005 when the passing of her beloved "Soul Dog" Jawa, and the subsequent arrival of a stray dog that would become her own, led her to a local humane society. Appalled by the lack of volunteer participation and enrichment for the dogs in the shelter, Shelby became an everyday volunteer who religiously showed up day after day to walk dogs and work with the scared, shy and aggressive dogs in hopes of helping them get adopted.

A newfound passion for animal welfare led Shelby to sign-up blindly for an excursion to Ica, Peru with Best Friends, after an earthquake devastated the region. The trip centered around bringing basic sterilization, vaccination and wellness to the animals in this hard-hit area. Upon returning home, she quit her job right away and took a position with American Humane in the Disaster Response department. During this time, Shelby crossed paths with someone working to provide services to the animals on the Ute Mountain Reservation in Southwest Colorado. Realizing the need and lack of resources available to the animals in this area, Shelby dove head-first into trying to figure out to best help. This led to the creation of a spay/neuter program in a renovated Airstream travel trailer named FYDA (Fix Your Damn Animals).

When the opportunity was presented to work for national humane giant, the ASPCA came calling, Shelby accepted the position as Director of Spay/Neuter Operations and moved to New York City. This position was instrumental in Shelby's growth and development on a national-level. New York City is not a lot like Colorado and Shelby's heart and soul remained at home with Soul Dog and its work on the Tribal Lands, which continued to grow by leaps and bounds, so after 2 1/2 years in NYC, Shelby headed home to lead Soul Dog full-time.

When she's not working, Shelby loves to travel, play basketball, jog, watch tv and take on home renovation projects. Shelby shares her home with 3 dogs, two of who have dramatic rescue stories, and 4 cats.

VETERINARIANS

Helping US Save Lives