Who We Are
History & Mission
Grateful Dogs Rescue – a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) non-profit organization – was founded in 1990 by Michelle Parris, a former SF Animal Care & Control (SF ACC) volunteer. She made it her mission to rescue SF ACC shelter dogs not made available for adoption, and we continue that mission today. Rather than letting these dogs be euthanized, Grateful Dogs Rescue saves as many as possible by fostering them until loving homes are found. In recent years we have expanded our mission to include other Bay Area shelters. GDR is the oldest all breed rescue group in the San Francisco Bay area. The Grateful Dogs Rescue adoption procedure is designed to find a good match between the dog and adopter. Our goal is a happy human and happy dog in a “forever home.”
Our all-volunteer Board
Maria Da Costa, President
Kate Singleton, Vice President
Simone Anderson, Treasurer
Michelle Douglas
Erin Ohlendorf
Elizabeth Hunt, Secretary
How your donation supports our mission
Grateful Dogs Rescue is run 100% by volunteers, meaning we have no paid personnel. This allows the majority of your donations to go directly towards rescuing shelter dogs. The dogs accepted into our program were not available for adoption by the shelter, which often means the dogs have medical needs or require help adjusting socially before they can be adopted. Your donations support these activities, as well as general health checks, vaccinations and equipment. A small percentage (less than 10%) annually goes toward general costs such as the website and adoption events. We actively strive to find new ways to bring these general costs down to a minimum.