Happy Mother’s Day to all the dog mamas out there! It’s takes a lot of love and responsibility to care for a four-legged family member, and some dog moms have just gone above and beyond for their furry ones.
While there are thousands — no, millions of amazing women (and men!) out there who have gone above and beyond for their pups, these are just a pawful of BarkPost’s favorite dog mamas.
1. Noelani Guerrero
Noelani is truly a force to be reckoned with. Not only does she own a clothing company that creates positive Pit Bull apparel, she also is a super-fostermom and advocate.
She has five awesome Pit Bull mixes, and is constantly fostering and finding homes for other Pitties in need. And she does all that with her own HUMAN baby on the way! The ultimate mama. Follow her incredible journey on Instagram: @noelaniig
2. Angel Guerrero
Okay, so we are throwing one non-human dog mama in here for good measure. Angel’s owner Noelani may be a super-fostermom, but she couldn’t do so without the help of her Pit Bull, Angel.
Angel was born to be a mama. She gave birth to her own litter, and when no one put in an application to help the malnourished mama, her foster mom Noelani welcomed Angel to her pack. Now, Angel helps take care of all the puppies that Noelani brings home, and gives them all the doggy love that they need to be healthy and socialized enough to be adopted into an amazing forever family.
3. Candice Miller
Candice lives most dog-lovers’ dream, but that doesn’t come without a lot of work. She lives on a 12-acre ranch in Eugene, Oregon with 4 humans, 6 dogs, 5 chickens, 1 rooster, 1 tortoise and a whole bunch of foster pups who are nursed back to health and then adopted out. In fact, one of Candice’s own pups almost didn’t make it past her first week, let alone to her first birthday, but thanks to Candice, Penelope is doing great! The dog mama is constantly improving her land so that she can truly have a paradise for healing foster pups (and a doggone fun place to live for her own dogs!)
4. Rebecca Corry
If you’ve read anything about Pit Bull advocates, you have most likely heard this woman’s name. Rebecca Corry is a comedian and actress who lives to tell the world about how amazing Pit Bulls are. Her own best friend, her beloved Pit Bull Angel, recently passed away from cancer, but she continues to shed light on the breed discrimination through her organization, Stand Up For Pits.
On June 3rd, Rebecca will be giving $10,000 worth of grants in Angel’s name to nonprofit rescues. We could only guess that Angel is up in heaven smiling down on her pawesome mama (while enjoying an endless supply of chicken treats).
5. Rachel Antonoff
Rachel Antonoff is a dog-lovin’ fashion designer who pawtnered with BarkPost to put on the First Annual Puppy Prom. And yes, if you’re wondering, it was just as awesome as it sounds. Rachel’s best friend Lafitte came as her date, but the whole event was for a cause greater than just dancing and showing off – the proceeds went to a local animal rescue, Animal Haven.
6. Anna Masusock
Anna Masusock proves that there is no age limit to being an awesome dog mama. Anna and her family are watching after foster pup Laila through PACT For Animals, an organization that matches pups with great foster families while their hoomans are deployed in the military. There’s even a video of Anna singing Laila to sleep – make sure to have tissues nearby!
7. Brunie Drumond
Brunie Drumond came across a 14 year-old Lab Mix at Austin Animal Center and her maternal instincts kicked in. The elderly dog had lost his sight due to untreated cataracts and Glaucoma and was being turned into the shelter by his family to be put to sleep.
That’s when Brunie swept in to give Blackie the best darn “Fospice” house he could ever wish for. However, with Brunie’s excellent care and hospitality, Blackie had a new lease on life and began feeling better and walking around the house. It just goes to prove that a little hope for a lost soul can go a very long way. Kudos to Brunie!
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8. Alison Turner
Alison Turner is exactly like most dog moms – she takes photos of her pup, spoils him, and takes him for walks. There is just one thing that sets her apart from most – she lives in a camper and travels the country with her rescue dog, Max. Together they have run on the sandy beaches of Cape Cod and explored the Pink Coral Sand Dunes in Utah (and everywhere in between!) Max has seen more of this country than most humans have, and that’s all thanks to his pawesome mom.
9. Hilary Swank
You may know Hilary Swank’s name from movies such as Boys Don’t Cry and Freedom Writers, but what you may not know is that Hilary is a major animal rights activist. She’s an avid supporter of Best Friends Animal Society and even helped them launch their 2012 NKLA initiative in Los Angeles. You can check out all the adorable photos she posts of her own rescue dogs, Rumi and Kai on Instagram.
10. Andrea Tovar
What do you do when you find out that your dog’s treats are filled with chemicals and preservatives? Well, in Andrea Tovar’s case you start your own healthy dog food bakery. After selling the doggie treats on the streets in Brooklyn, Andrea decided to take her dog and her treats to the big-leagues and started a business called Biscuit Bikes, for dogs dining on-the-go.
11. Carly Strife
If it wasn’t for this dog mama, I wouldn’t be writing this roundup, and you wouldn’t be reading this article! Carly Strife and co-founders Matt Meeker and Henrik Werdelin started out as dog lovers with a dream that later became BarkBox! A simple startup turned into the biggest dog subscription box service that exists today and has snowballed into countless wonderful outlets for all things dog. Our pups will forever thank you, Carly!
12. Amy Luwis
Amy Luwis is an author, illustrator, and animal activist. Her latest book called For Dog’s Sake! is all about dog safety and protecting your pup from unsafe foods and everyday dangers. As if that isn’t enough, Amy is the co-founder of Adopt-a-Pet.com and her own rescue Pit Bull, Isabelle. That is one busy dog mama!
13. Tia Torres
If you’ve ever happened upon Animal Planet during an episode of Pitbulls and Parolees, you’ve probably seen this amazing dog mama. Starting as a rescuer of “wolf hybrids,” Tia quickly began to fall in love with another misunderstood breed of dogs – Pit Bulls. This was the birth of Villalobos Rescue Center.
Now, Tia saves hundreds of thousands of Pit Bulls (and other breeds) by giving them the second chance they deserve. Aside from helping the dogs, Tia also deals with another misunderstood breed – parolees who are looking for work after getting out of prison. On her show, you can usually hear Tia being referred to as mom by her children, her employees, and heck, probably even the rescue dogs. She truly is a mom to all.
14. Katherine Heigl
While this girl might be the star of your favorite TV show or movie, she’s also keeping pretty busy in her spare time. Katherine founded the Jason Debus Heigl Foundation, named after her late brother. The foundation works to decrease the number of animals entering shelters by offering low-income families with spay and neutering services and funding transportation for animals to be sent to no-kill shelters. Aside from all that, Katherine and her hubby are the parents to 8 adopted dogs. Yes…only 8!
