There is a canine haven located in Bodfish named SOS Dog Rescue. SOS stands for Strength of Shadow. Shadow is the personal dog of Robbie Miller and Jen Haratani, the founders of SOS Dog Rescue. Her story (Shadow) of rescue and resilience and the strength she exuded throughout all of it was the inspiration behind the founding of Strength of Shadow Dog Rescue, Inc.
What is the history of SOS dog rescue and when was it established?
SOS Dog Rescue was founded in April 2018 by Robbie Miller with the help of Jen Haratani and the Board of Directors. Our Mission was and is still simple, to rescue dogs and save people at the same time. We rescue dogs from high kill shelters within Kern County, rehabilitate them both medically and mentally, and then find them adoptive homes. Over the years we have also secured a rescue ranch which is where most of the magic happens. We have multiple programs within the organization such as Operation Keep Pets In Home which provides resources to residents of the Kern River Valley for their pets. To date we have distributed over 100,000 lbs of dog and cat food, provided collars and personalized ID tags for well over 3,000 dogs, hosted and sponsored multiple no/low cost spay and neuter clinics as well as vaccinations and microchips. We also launched Fix your Pet to Fix Your City, which is a low cost spay and neuter program for residents of Kern County, mostly the Bakersfield area. In 10 months we have funded/co-funded clinics 4-5 times a month and have been able to provide surgery for over 2500 pets in underserved areas. We are also a proud partner of Kern SAFE, an animal coalition that provides education and resources in an effort to eliminate euthanasia for space in our county.
Who are the people that make the SOS dog rescue possible?
SOS Dog Rescue is ran by Robbie Miller (Founder/CEO), Jen Haratani (Director of Operations), Stephanie Lewis (Kennel Tech/Social Media Guru), Debbie Merriman (Kennel Tech), our incredible Board of Directors, our amazing volunteers, our extremely generous donors, and our hardworking collaboration/coalition partners.
What is the primary function of the SOS dog rescue?
Our primary function is to save once abandoned, neglected dogs of Kern County, help them realize their potential and then place them with the people that need them the most. Our other function is to reduce intake/euthanasia at our shelters by educating and assisting pet parents about responsible pet ownership.
What types of free and low-cost services are available to the dogs of the Kern River Valley community?
We offer just about every resource for your pets when we have them available. Everything from food, training, collars, tags, leashes, vaccines, microchips, and spay/neuter surgery. To stay up to date on current resources available please make sure to join “Operation Keep Pets In Home” on Facebook. You can also find additional resources at www.strengthofshadow.org and www.kernsafe.org
Do you have any shout-outs !
This list would be a mile long if we listed them individually! Shoutouts go to all the businesses around the Kern River Valley who have and continue to support our mission, to all the clients who show up on time for their appointments to ensure their pets remain happy and healthy, to all the donors and followers and adopters who continue to inspire us to keep on going! The biggest shoutout goes to all the dogs of Kern County who fight to survive while waiting for help!
SOS Dog Rescue was named Kern River Valley Organization of the Year 2021 and the founders Robbie and Jen were named Man & Woman of the Year 2023. Thank you SOS for saving dogs and helping people in the Kern River Valley!
