Good Karma Animal Rescue of MN is a foster-parent-based animal rescue. They have no facility; All animals are in foster homes throughout the cities. Lisa Booth, Founder and Director of Good Karma, operates the rescue from her home. Their mission is “To work tirelessly to provide the highest quality physical and emotional care to the animals we rescue.” It doesn’t take long to see that they live up to this mission, each and every day.

Lisa formed Good Karma in January 2013. “I wanted a rescue that focused on quality of care rather than numbers of animals. I wanted a rescue with the highest standards of care: top-quality food, medications and veterinary care, animals ONLY in foster homes, a self-imposed limit to the number of foster animals in a home, etc.”

So how does this all work?

“We rescue dogs (and a few kitties this year!) from high-kill shelters and other high-risk situations, and we provide them with everything they need physically and emotionally before we find them loving adoptive families. Not only do we rescue, foster, provide all care for, and place them in homes, we ALSO go to get them ourselves.”

That’s right, Good Karma doesn’t sit idly by, they GO RESCUE animals.

“We’ve driven over 25,000 miles this year. Most notably, in August we traveled to Louisiana to save dogs from the flood zone and help with ground efforts. This trip led to an ongoing relationship with shelters down there, and Good Karma is regularly travelling to Louisiana now to rescue dogs. So far we have driven there 3 times and saved 71 animals, with the next trip taking place right before Christmas.” Good Karma goes above and beyond to make sure that animals find the care and love they deserve.

If you aren’t convinced yet as to why Good Karma is such a wonderful organization (but we don’t see how that’s possible), here is a passage from a very compelling post on Good Karma’s Facebook page that says it far better than I ever could:

 “We can’t match the numbers of lives saved that you may see elsewhere, but that’s not our goal. We don’t have a facility, and there’s no place for our dogs to live except in our foster homes - and that's okay because we wouldn't do it any other way. We don’t have hundreds of volunteers on board helping us fulfill our mission, but the Good Karma Army is the most dedicated, pure, and committed group of people I’ve ever had the honor of knowing. What we DO have, is heart and a burning drive that's impossible to explain unless you are experiencing it with us. We are a dedicated group of rescuers who believe in saving the dogs who need us most, and providing those dogs with quality care above all else. We have always been, and remain, the little rescue that could. We honor our commitments to our animals, and we spread good karma by sharing and donating supplies with the rescues and shelters down south, and by freeing up space on the volunteer transport systems so that other MN rescues can get their dogs sooner. Our little rescue has quite a far-reaching impact.”

“We spend a lot of money on our animals. We’ve racked up veterinary and transport costs of approximately $60,000 since this time last year. For a rescue of our size, this is an astronomical amount of money. Ultrasounds, heartworm treatments, orthopedic surgeries, extensive and expensive medications; as long as there is a chance for an animal to have quality of life, we never give up. At any given time (in fact, right at this very moment), 1/3 of the animals at Good Karma are not adoptable for medical or behavioral reasons. Every day, we're doing a lot of hard work that you don't see. But trust me, we are working. Because this is rescue.”

That is commitment. Commitment to rescuing these animals by first getting them into a safe foster home and rescuing them again and again by providing the best care possible, until they find a home of their very own. To date Good Karma Animal Rescue of MN has saved over 700 dogs. That’s 700 lives that might have been lost if not for the incredible work that the Good Karma Army does, every day. They have so many happy beginnings, look at an album featuring dogs going home with their forever families!

Good Karma does multiple fundraisers throughout the year, and one of the best ways to donate (besides participating in Season of Sharing on Facebook) is to participate in “Presents for Pooches”! This is Good Karma’s annual toy drive! They go through 100 dog toys a month! Many dogs come from unknown or scary backgrounds and providing them with toys and stuffed animals that they can take with them to their forever homes offers them comfort and a piece of “home” as they transition to life with their new families. You can ease this transition by donating unused toys, collars, leashes, beds, and treats. They also have a "wishlist" on Amazon. Throw a couple dog toys in your cart and help some dogs in need!

Good Karma Animal Rescue is a valued member of our community that gives animals a real chance at a long, happy life. But they can’t do what they do, without you. 

If you’re interested in adopting from Good Karma, animals are always being added to their "adoptables" album.

Learn more about how you can help Good Karma Animal Rescue of MN by checking out their website!

*The top right photo is Founder Lisa with Sven Sundgaard (Kare11 Meteorologist AND Good Karma Foster dad!) and 4 Louisiana dogs. The three puppies were very ill with parvo and ringworm, but recovered fully and were all adopted! The rest of the photos are of Lisa rescuing other dogs.