It takes a lot of people to save one dog. Sarah Lauch is one of those people. She spends her days as an executive producer of original content at Comcast SportsNet Chicago, but spends much of her free time working in the Chicago animal rescue scene.
Her love for animals dates back to her childhood. From cats and dogs to rabbits and potbellied pigs, there were always pets in the family.
Since I grew up around such a variety, my passion for animals started very early. I remember as a child learning to respect and treat animals as part of the family. We always took in any stray that showed up at our house.
So when she started following a local Chicago rescue that pulled dire cases and did their best to save them, she volunteered to do transports from the shelter to the vet. Her work began at Chicago Animal Care and Control.
It was heart-wrenching volunteer work, but was so gratifying at the same time. I helped to get dogs rescued with a great team of rescues and volunteers. I am still very proud of the work that we did there, and I care about every single dog that I helped get rescued or adopted.
Now she volunteers with numerous open admission shelters and rescues in the Chicago area. She says this work is important to her because many people see dogs as disposable instead of part of the family. While many people think their dog will have a chance to get rescued or adopted from CACC, Lauch says most don’t make it out alive. She wants to educate those people while being a voice for dogs.
Lauch and her friend Kelly Michael, with the help of rescue group One Tail at a Time, were instrumental in helping an amazing dog make it out of CACC, Roosevelt of the #LiveLikeRoo campaign.
Michael and Lauch were co-fostering Roo when they found out he had terminal cancer. They then adopted him to make sure he lived his life to the fullest in his last months. Lauch says Roo’s story became bigger than they imagined and an Instagram follower dubbed his finals months to be the time to #LiveLikeRoo.
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#LiveLikeRoo became a mantra, not just for dogs, but for humans, because tomorrow is not promised to anyone. I loved Roo so much and it hurts my heart that he is gone, but he left a legacy, and now with the non-profit Live Like Roo Foundation, we can help owners and their dogs through a cancer diagnosis, both financially and emotionally.
The Live Like Roo Foundation received its official 501c3 designation on Feb. 19, 2016.
Lauch lives with two dogs of her own: Zoey and Ralph, and a deaf senior foster dog named Comet, who is available for adoption through Blackdog All Breed Rescue.
It takes a village, and Lauch is a humble pillar in that village. Says Lauch:
Special thanks to rescues, fosters, adopters and volunteers who have always been willing to drop everything to help me save a dog. Specials thanks to the people that follow Roo and my personal pages for always being so kind and supporting us when we needed it the most. I am forever grateful.
Featured image by Carolyn Lloyd Photography
