Volunteer Spotlight on Jackie Duenas

Jackie Duenas has always been the “can do” contact for dogs in the Miami-Dade area. Every time TDL wanted to rescue a dog from the Miami-Dade shelter, it felt like pulling teeth! The shelter itself has gone through many administrative and procedural changes, and we can tell the difference. Their protocols lately have produced healthier dogs. For example, allowing a dog to be fostered until it’s ready for spay/neuter. In the past, the old administration would spay/neuter dogs that were medically fragile, Miss Miami, Joey and many others. But that’s a thing of the past now. Click here for a list of the dogs we have pulled from this shelter.
The assistance that Jackie has offered us makes a huge difference. I’ve always said that pulling a dog from death row, getting it vetted and adopted was the easy part. The hardest part of rescue is finding fosters and transporters.

Jackie writes:
My love and passion for animals has greatly influenced my life and has made me who I am today. At a very young age I decided that I was going to become a veterinarian. Any my choice to do so has never wavered. I am currently a student at Florida International University and working towards my Bachelor of Science in Biology. I am very excited to be graduating in December. After graduation, I will be applying to veterinary school.
As I started rescuing I realized how much homeless pets need our help. Every year millions of dogs are euthanized because they are not adopted. I want to be the one to change those statistics. I plan on dedicating my life to homeless pets by specializing in shelter medicine while in veterinary school. Keep an eye out for me because I plan on changing the animal rescue world! 🙂
