When Cheryl and Damiano Ruggiero realized that some in Bolinas struggled to afford food and medicine for their dogs, they informally stepped in to help. But it didn’t remain informal for long; soon enough, Cheryl was hunting for donations for Love Dogs for Life, her nonprofit and pet cause.
The organization comes to the rescue of owners in financial straits by paying for expensive veterinary bills or pet food. It focuses on West Marin and helps people throughout the county, though eventually Cheryl hopes it will go statewide.
“Our mission is keeping families and pets together forever,” said Cheryl, who herself has a pack of frenetic, curly-haired dogs. (Her black schnauzer mix, Luigi, graces the nonprofit’s logo.)
Love Dogs is a big undertaking for Cheryl, who has worked as a civil rights and employment lawyer for 25 years and divides her time between Bolinas and her Los Angeles office.
The nonprofit has expanded from its humble beginning in 2009, when she sent last-minute emails and started GoFundMe campaigns for immediate surgeries. Even last year, it only raised $2,500. Yet this past Valentine’s Day weekend, Love Dogs pulled in $12,000 at its first fundraiser at Judy Molyneux’s Bolinas art gallery. In total, the nonprofit has raised $16,000 in 2015.
The organization has enlisted the help of two local veterinarians to stretch their funds. Mary Whitney at the Point Reyes Animal Hospital offers services at a discounted rate when the organization fronts the cost, and Rob Erteman at the Stinson Beach Animal Clinic is involved, too. And at one Bolinas store, Uniquities, Barbara MacDonald sells the organization dog food at a 30 percent discount.
Still, allocating funding can become tricky; Love Dogs cannot meet the needs of every pet owner. It is likely to be confronted with the classic choice between helping either one very needy animal or many more in less dire situations. “We might have to say we have too many other dogs and cats to help,” Cheryl explained. “I hope I don’t have to be in that position.”
Yet some sources of extra funding can impose cumbersome constraints. She’s wary, for instance, of grants that prohibit operations on pets over a certain age. In real life, she said, there are almost always exceptions. She reviews written applications individually, preferring to make the tough choices herself for now. She envisions Love Dogs will have a board of directors some day, so that a group makes tough spending decisions.
Love Dogs has helped animals in other ways. As landlords, Cheryl and Damiano know how difficult it is to find a rental that allows pets. Insurance policies can include blanket prohibitions on stereotyped breeds. Love Dogs is prepared to help pet owners convince landlords to let them keep their animals, perhaps by footing a security deposit. The organization has also rescued four dogs. The first, now called Pippin, recovered in a crib in Cheryl’s office after a long trip from Sequoia National Forest.
The main focus, though, remains on helping people keep their pets. “The average person in our society, even in West Marin, is struggling,” Cheryl said. Love Dogs keeps animals out of shelters and with their families, and perhaps most importantly, Cheryl mused, provides pet owners with “peace of mind.”