From fostering, to breeding, to training, to managing a kennel, Haley Lancey is doing all she can to help dogs in need.

By 22, Haley has met more dogs than most people will meet over 5 lifetimes. She began volunteering at Chebaco Kennel in Swanzey, NH in the 7th grade, when most kids her age were singing into hairbrushes pretending they were their favorite member from a girl group named after something you season food with... (or was that just me? “Spice up your life!” *jazz hands*).

"It's Chebaco, like Tobacco"

Her first duties were to feed the dogs, and let them out to run and play in the fields out back of the kennel. Eventually Judy Clark, owner of Chebaco, taught the eager pupil how to groom her own family dog, Creo, a schnauzer. Now, almost 10 years later, Haley is the manager of the whole kennel, and speaks with more knowledge and assuredness than someone 10 years her senior.

Judy encouraged Haley to start fostering dogs who needed a good temporary home while they waited to be adopted. Her first, Brody, came from English Setter Rescue. Every day Haley would come to Chebaco to see him, take him out to run, and work on some bad habits. He stayed at the kennel for 7 months, a long time for a foster, but was eventually adopted, and is doing fantastic, according to the Christmas card she still receives every year.

Pictured: Russo Soul by Dean Russo

“People always say, ‘How do you say goodbye to the dogs? It must be so sad!’, and I mean it is, but it’s more rewarding than sad.” - Haley

Now, Haley fosters a few dogs at a time in addition to taking care of the kennel’s regular clients. When one finds a good home, another will come take its place. During their stay at the kennel, she works with them on their bad habits such as food aggression and leash aggression, and she’ll also take them home occasionally to expose them to pet life, so they're prepped and ready for when their forever family comes. At the time of our visit, she had two waiting to find good homes, Fin and Toby.

Fin, a rambunctious Pitt mix, is a sweetheart but completely unaware of his size. Haley calls him “The Wrecking Ball”. He also can be a little unpredictable, and aggressive (although when I met him, he was nothing but playful, as you can see above). Haley hopes to place him with someone experienced and local so she can continue to work with him.

Toby is like that person you just met, but you feel like is already your best friend. He's a Black Lab, about one and a half years old, and loves other dogs. He's not so good with other small pets like cats, but he couldn't be more friendly, leaning into you like he's giving a warm hug.

Both Fin and Toby were scheduled to be euthanized, but were saved at the last minute by a few good hearted rescuers.

How Breeding and Rescuing Dogs Actually Go Hand in Hand

Judy Clark and Haley have also had a hand in breeding Golden Retrievers. Given the common perception that breeding is the antithesis of rescuing, this seems hypocritical, but Haley informed me, when done properly, responsibly, and ethically, breeding is done for the love of the breed. These two aren’t the horrible backyard breeders who have liter upon liter that are kept in abusive conditions you hear about on the news. Haley and Judy won’t breed a dog, unless it's proven to be in good health, which means a lot of screening for any ailments that exist, or could exist, and they don’t breed often. Their last litter was a year ago, and that was the first litter in 6 years.

“The problem is that it used to be that everyone said ‘don’t ever rescue...and now it’s done like a complete turn and everyone’s saying that people who breed and show are like the devil...because shame on anyone for creating another dog, but the way I see it, we produce healthy dogs, we don’t produce a lot.” - Haley

Breeders are often times the ones that are helping in-need dogs the most. Judy runs a doggy retirement home out of her own house. She’s on the board of Yankee Golden Retriever Rescue, and will take home a dog deemed un-adoptable, and allow them to live out their life in comfort. Katie, one of the golden “retirees”, was diagnosed with terminal cancer and was given 2 months to live, but ended up living 2 years at Judy’s home.

Pictured: Lightening Rex T-Shirt by Jerry LoFaro

Rudy was another “retiree” that Haley took in at the kennel. He was an older standard poodle whose owner, a client of Haley's, suddenly passed. The living relatives were going to euthanize him, but Haley would have none of that. In lieu of flowers at the funeral guests were asked to donate to Chebaco, where Rudy would be moving to. There was a huge outpouring. They raised over $2000, and Rudy was able to live out his life comfortably at Chebaco. 9 months later he passed peacefully in his sleep.

Running a Kennel and Raising Three Dogs of Your Own

As if the kennel’s furry clients, the spirited rescues, and mature retiree’s weren’t enough, Haley also has 3 dogs of her own, a harmonious blend of all her past and present doggy passions. 

DiNozzo, named after the cocky detective on the CBS tv series NCIS, is a purebred golden from their last litter a year ago. Haley is training him to win a few obedience titles and hopes to show him soon, (although his eyes are a little light and his coat is a little lacking, she mentions).

Pictured: Dogs Speak by Dean Russo

Talyn, is a retired racing greyhound she met during an assignment while studying animal care at Becker College. Racing dogs are often given up when they fail to win. Talyn came from a seemingly attentive owner (not always the case) that had very good notes on him, like how Talyn loves donuts. How do you just give up those memories like nothing? We may never know, but in the end it worked out for Talyn. He spends his days going to work with Haley at the kennel and running to his heart’s content in the large fenced-in field out back.

Walking around Chebaco kennel talking to Haley was like being thrown into another dimension that you immediately wanted to make home. She's completely absorbed in her passion and it's intoxicating. But once you leave and realize you’ve got your own world of things you’re working on and you can’t just drop everything to become a dog whisperer, a little guilt nestles in; like you aren't doing enough good in the world. But there are people like Haley at the front-lines, and then there are people that give them support and recognition for their cause, and those people are important too. Those people are you, and me, and anyone that takes a minute of their day to think about these things, and take a little action. Actions like volunteering at a shelter, or buying products that give a little back, or getting involved in a charitable event can have an amazing ripple effect.

This post was brought to you by The Russo Rescue Collection. A portion of proceeds from each tee purchased is donated to Best Friends Animal Society