Ashley Owen Hill

Entrepreneur, Animal Advocate and Animal Rescuer!

Sasha Levine Reports
Photos Courtesy of Lucky Dog Rescue

Ashley Owen Hill has been rescuing dogs since she was five years old. Now, as President of Lucky Dog Rescue and the owner of Lucky Dog Retreat Boarding Kennel in Meridian, Mississippi, she looks back through the years at her natural affinity for helping animals:

“I would beg my parents to take me every day after school to play with the dogs at the pound. Several of our family pets were death row babies from the shelter. At the pound, I would look into the dogs’ eyes and see pain, fear, and despair. But those same eyes conveyed dreams, love, and hope. So as a child, I decided to dedicate my life to replacing their pain with happiness, and that’s exactly what I’ve done. I honestly feel that I was born an animal rescuer.”

At age nine, she started her own business, The Pet Sitters Agency, and took care of people’s pets while they were away. Though it has been far from easy, she has turned her life-long goal of helping dogs into a reality. Her motivation, she admits, comes from the remarkable resilience of the dogs themselves. Ashley says that most of the dogs she rescues have been exposed to the “worst the world has to offer.” She explains, “Most of them have been chained, beaten, and starved for most of their lives. Before me, they never encountered kindness on any level. But when I look at them, I see no trace of anger. There is no resentment. No self-pity. There is only the desire to be loved. It is truly the most incredible thing I have ever witnessed, and it inspires me every day.”

Her most heartening rescue is that of a Pit Bull named Rudy who would eventually become her own. Abandoned on a chain for weeks without sustenance when his owners moved away, Rudy was slowly starving to death. When Ashley took him into her home and nursed him back to health, he sparked in her a love for the Pit Bull breed. After Rudy passed away suddenly of a heart attack on July 8, 2010 at the age of three, Ashley’s life changed forever. She was determined to save more lives than ever before. “He is the inspiration behind every Pit Bull I have saved since his death.”

One week after Rudy’s death, Ashley took what she calls “that leap of faith” and began the process of opening Lucky Dog Retreat. She describes the boarding facility as a super fun vacation place for dogs while their parents are away. She feels fortunate to be able to combine her day job with her passion for animal rescue. While she is able to work with family dogs on a daily basis, she also has time to rescue less fortunate dogs and rehabilitate them. She started her nonprofit organization, Lucky Dog Rescue. “My rescue is focused on saving the forgotten souls—dogs from death row, worst-case dogs, and the terminally ill. I spend a lot of time rehabilitating dogs who have endured unimaginable suffering, and then I place them in loving homes.”

Ashley is an amazing role model to children and adults alike of how just one dedicated person can make big improvements in the lives of homeless and abused animals. Because of other people’s lack of action to end the suffering of these animals, Ashley is compelled to work even harder. Though she is heartbroken about the things she has witnessed, she is resolute not to let the pain break her. “These dogs need someone to be their voice, and I fight to be a voice for them every day.” She wants to inspire others to get involved and advocates that every person is capable of making a difference. She says that because shelters are overcrowded, the best way to help is to foster a dog. Many rescue groups, like Lucky Dog Rescue, are dependent on foster home volunteers to provide the space to save lives. “Fostering is honestly the most rewarding thing you can ever do, because you will truly save a life.”

For more information or to contact:

Lucky Dog Rescue Blog: www.luckydogrescueblog.blogspot.com

Become a fan on Facebook at: Lucky Dog Rescue Blog

Become a friend on Facebook at: Ashley Owen Hill

Ashley is the Mississippi area rep for Dogs Deserve Better

Also the Mississippi/Alabama state liaison for Animal Rescue Corps

And the marketing/communication director for Pet Pardons