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MeetThe Team |
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Mary Hord, President - Mary has been officially involved in animal rescue since 2002, but was a "rescuer" even as a child. Her father was the first to stop for a stray, and their farm was never without a wide range of pets - from a runt piglet carried around in a bucket, to a baby lamb kept in her bedroom at night, a raccoon who ate Snicker bars, and of course a whole pack of assorted dogs! Mary even showed up late for high school on more than one occasion as a stray dog needed to be delivered back to the farm.
In 2004, Mary decided to start Almost Home as she saw a desperate need for a rescue program in Rutherford County, TN. Since its inception, hundreds of dogs - from Toy Poodles, to Bearded Collies, to the ever-present Weimaraners and now Great Danes - have made their way to the care of Almost Home and ultimately into some wonderful area forever homes. Almost Home also rescues horses on a more limited basis.
Mary works as a District Sales Manager in the medical arena in order to support her "rescue habit." A former equestrian competitor in Eventing and Hunter disciplines, she now keeps some very expensive pasture ornaments and rides for fun when time permits.
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"Animal rescue is such unbelievably difficult work, but the rewards are many, and the rewards are what make us continue. The day to day tasks are nothing compared to some of the seemingly insurmountable heartaches we experience. The loss of sweet old-man Redford followed so quickly by Fergie’s passing broke my heart in a way I thought it would never heal. But the hugs from Paige, kisses from Dee Dee, and the progress we see so quickly with dogs like Mallard, Zack, and Sawyer definitely makes it worthwhile. While we sometimes hang our heads in defeat over a loss, and the gaping holes left in our hearts seem so hard to fill, along comes a dog so truly in need and with a broken spirit so unbelievably able to heal our own, that we literally pick each other up, and move forward together. Rescue work provides so many life lessons – about compassion, ethics, perseverance, the power in forgiving - and so many examples of God’s grace. I wouldn’t miss the lessons for anything in this world."
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Karen Mallard, Vice President - Karen became involved with Almost Home in March of 2006. A pet lover from childhood, Karen grew up with 4 dogs and 2 cats -- all of which were rescues. In December of 2005, Karen got a Weimaraner puppy, which led to a new found love. Karen had read when doing research about the breed, that something happens to you when you get a Weimaraner, a new found obsession, if you will. She found herself scouring the internet for more information about the breed, and realized that there are an alarming number of Weimaraners (along with hundreds of other breeds) in rescue programs across the country. Upon visiting Almost Home's Pet Finder page, Karen realized this was the organization she needed to volunteer with. What started as helping out at the occasional adoption day, has led to a passion for rescue work and helping educate the public about proper pet ownership and care.
Karen works as a Human Resources Representative for Schneider Electric, and is a recent graduate of MTSU. She resides in Murfreesboro with her husband, Adam, and dog, Sadie.
"I feel so privileged to be able to come to know and love the pets who come into Almost Home's care. They come to us neglected, scared, and many times hungry, for both food and love. These poor pets have sometimes been through more in their short lives than any of us could imagine in a lifetime. One thing never wavers in each pet, their spirit and ability to give love in return. As heartbreaking as their stories sometimes are, the rewards are great once their true personalities start shining through."
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Dr. Chuck Kinard, Member, Board of Directors - more info to come!
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Adam M.
Ann, Robert, and Ian H.
Ellen F.
Valene P.
Susan Y. and Richard H.
Laura H.
Melissa and Rick W.
Sara A.
Meg J.
Chris J.
Rick, Ricky, Lynn H.
Elaine J.
Kathy M.
Dustan and Angie S.
Mindy L.
Kim G.
Jeremy G.
Tiffany G.
Kelly H.
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