by Kris Larson

From time to time, FETCH highlights a person who exemplifies what it means to "make a difference" in the lives of our pets. Get to know these inspiring individuals though their own words. Know someone who is making a difference in their own way? Tell FETCH, and we’ll consider them for a future issue. Send an email to editors@fetchthepaper.com.

Pali Boucher spent most of her childhood on the streets; she was also homeless as an adult, and suffered from a drug addiction. Then she met her dog, Leadbelly, and her life was transformed. Fearful that her frequent arrests would leave Leadbelly without a caretaker, Pali voluntarily entered rehab. Eight years later, Leadbelly has passed on, but a clean and sober Pali now shares her subsidized housing with three dogs and two foster dogs. That’s because in 2001, Pali founded Rocket Dog Rescue, a volunteer nonprofit group dedicated to finding homes for dogs that the shelters have given up on. Rocket Dog uses a network of volunteer foster homes to house dogs while they’re given veterinary care, spayed or neutered, and eventually placed in loving homes. Recently, FETCH was lucky enough to spend some time talking to Pali and her bloodhound, Lightning Jack (pictured), about Rocket Dog Rescue. With her friendly, fearless gaze, and her obvious passion for her work, talking to Pali is like being bathed in the light of a very energetic sun.

Can you tell me a little about the way Rocket Dog works?

Before Rocket Dog, I spent years volunteering with different rescue groups, and a lot of what I learned was what not to do. A lot of groups will give an animal a certain amount of time to be adopted, but after that they give up and the animal is euthanized. Or they’ll spend a certain amount, say $175, on an animal’s medical care, but if it’s going to cost more then the animal is euthanized. And they have big budgets, they can afford to pay for ten staff members. We [at Rocket Dog] are all volunteers, we don’t get paid, but we don’t have these policies.

Let’s talk more about euthanizing policies.

A big part of it is because of market demand. People want a certain breed, and then backyard breeders produce them like crazy and suddenly there are too many dogs and not enough homes. For example, we see a lot of Chihuahuas right now. Paris Hilton started carrying one around in her bag, and then all the rock stars had them, and then everyone wanted one. And now the shelters are overflowing with them, I’m getting calls from Chihuahua rescue groups because even they are overwhelmed with Chihuahuas that need homes. And [the demand for fashionable breeds] is just an example of the problems we have in this society, where there are all these issues like homelessness and global warming. How do you find a way to open people’s eyes to a problem in a way they’ll listen to, in a way that won’t be construed as alarmist?

In one article, I was quoted as saying euthanasia is murder, but that wasn’t accurate. That makes it sound like I think the shelters are at fault, and I don’t want to give that impression. We are responsible for producing all of these unwanted animals, every one of us. I just do not feel that euthanizing unwanted animals is an acceptable solution; as a society, we should open our eyes, accept responsibility, and put a stop to puppymills, overbreeding, mistreating and hurting animals simply because it is convenient to not see the truth of it. These are not vicious killers being put down; these are your grandmother’s dog, they’re your family dog, the dog you grew up with.

Do you ever get dogs who are unadoptable?

I get dogs sometimes that aren’t ideal for city families. I had a Fila Mastiff that I got when he was just a puppy. I had him until he was about five months old. But he started being very wary around other people. And I looked up this breed, and it turns out that Fila Mastiffs are known for being very, very loyal to family members, and can be hostile to people outside the family. And this dog, I got him when he was just a tiny puppy and now he’s 140 pounds. [...] Fila Mastiffs are going to be the new pit bulls, because everyone wants something bigger and meaner than a pit bull, and it’s terrible, there’s a flood of them from backyard breeders. It’s an example of fashion dictating the market. These are great dogs, but they’re not meant for an urban environment.

Pit bulls get a lot of bad press. What’s your feeling about the breed?

We see a lot of pit bulls get euthanized. I mean, even little puppies that are just gentle and sweet. And a lot of grown dogs that are just as sweet. [Rocket Dog] has no problem with pit bulls. We do screen very thoroughly and are very selective when adopting out bigger breeds, such as pit bulls, and we do require training as part of our adoption. I’ll adopt them out to families with kids if the dog is well-adjusted and good with people. But I can’t just adopt a dog out because I think the home would be good for the dog. It has to be a good fit for everyone.

I know Rocket Dog takes up a lot of your time. What prompted you to start this group?

I think I grew up with a different idea than many people did. I was homeless as a child, and I grew up around violence, chaos...I also grew up with nothing, and I shared what I had with other people who had nothing. So I don’t have much now, but it seems natural for me to share what I have. Rocket Dog Rescue is part of that.