What would you do if you won the lottery? Take a trip? Buy a new car? All good dreams, but what would Autumn Jolley, founder of Power of the Paw animal rescue do? She would buy land to build a doggy daycare and a rescue shelter for critters needing a second, or sometimes third or fourth, chance at a forever home.

Power of the Paw (POTP) was started in 2011 with a Facebook page trying to help animals at kill shelters find adopters. It has grown to a 501c charity that is staffed by volunteers and one of their most needed resources, foster homes.

I sat down with Autumn to find out more about what a rescue does and why they depend on their followers and community to continue doing their important work.

What does it mean to be a rescue versus a shelter? Shelters are facilities that house many animals at one time. The dogs are set up in runs, and there is a physical place you can go to see all of the animals available for adoption. Rescues are mostly run from foster homes, and have a smaller intake number, which means they know their animals quite well, and they know their quirks. The benefits from adopting a dog from a foster home is you will know how they will be inside a home, with animals and children. We also have an extensive adoption process so that we know our animals are going to homes that are the right fit for them.

What is the average amount you spend for each animal? For our seniors, it’s around $500. And even though we do charge adoption fees ranging from $50 for cats, up to $250 for puppies, we charge zero for adoptions for those animals over seven years old. We pay for all the medical costs, vaccinations, chipping and sometimes even training.

What is a recent happy story? Abby the beagle was found abandoned on a logging road. She had been abused so severely, she lost an eye. Our foster family took care of her (POTP pays for all the vet bills) and showed her a completely different life full of love and caring. She was just adopted to a wonderful couple. We received more than 30 applications for her which is both wonderful and sad—since we had to turn down 29 of them. Our only goal is to find the best home for the dog.

How can people help? In addition to events, we highlight our animals and keep you updated on their happy endings on our Facebook page. Visit our website to see the animals, fill out adoption applications, be a foster, and sign up for our newsletter. Even just one dollar a month helps us. We have almost 10,000 followers, and if everyone gave a dollar a month, we would have that to spend on the animals.

Tell me about a dog that is currently looking for a forever home. Fezzik is a 6-year-old mix of corgi, Rottweiler and maybe basset hound. He came to us from a shelter in Southern Idaho after his owners never came to reclaim him. He is very energetic and would do the best with older kids, dog-savvy cats and with a slow introduction to other dogs. He is with a foster who has other dogs and they all play wonderfully together now. He likes to be outside for the most part and needs a fenced yard for everyone’s peace of mind. He’s updated on all his shots and ready to be a part of your family.

Be sure to like POTP on Facebook, follow them with their newsletter and visit them at their upcoming events. powerofthepaw.org

Pam Duckmanton is the owner of Peaceful Paws Massage, a mobile, in-home massage practitioner for small animals. peacefulpawsmassage.com