About the Rescue
Overview and History
Helping Hounds Dog Rescue Inc – Organized January 26, 2009
Mission: Helping Hounds Dog Rescue (HHDR) provides a compassionate approach to dog rescue by matching homeless dogs from overcrowded shelter systems with loving homes.
HHDR is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization funded by donations, fundraisers and adoption fees, that works to find forever homes for rescue dogs in the Central New York area. HHDR is located at 7268 Caswell Street, North Syracuse, NY 13212.
Our team of dedicated staff is well supported by an army of volunteers and as a result we are able to successfully place over 1,700 dogs annually into loving homes.
Our Journey
Our journey began in 2008 when a group of like-minded citizens came together to save a momma beagle and her pups from euthanasia. It was Christmas time and there was no plan beyond giving the gift of life to this canine family. It didn’t take long for the next dog in need to arrive and the idea of Helping Hounds took root and was incorporated into a not-for-profit organization in January 2009. We quickly outgrew the space that was rented and moved into a leased building in Dewitt in 2010. In 2018, we began to make plans to own a home of our own when the Dewitt building was put on the market. We purchased and renovated a building that was once the recreational center for the AirForce and moved into our new home on Caswell Street in North Syracuse in January, 2020 - just before the Covid-19 pandemic changed the world.
Lola Jean, the first HHDR rescue, passed in 2013 at the age of 16. In her last years, she knew love, safety and kindness and her memory lives on to remind us that together, we can make a difference in the life of an unwanted dog.
Adoption
Our adoption program is the heart of HHDR and we are very proud of it. As with most things we do, there is a team of people in place to help screen applicants and match families to the dog that would most likely thrive in the life they offer. Each year, our adoption program reaches more dogs and more families, saving thousands of lives.
We honor and respect the work being done on the front lines by traditional shelters and dog control facilities. Too often, their efforts to save our canine companions from life on the streets, neglect and abuse end with the heartbreaking decision to euthanize them when the rate of intake outpaces the rate of adoption. When space is limited and resources not plentiful, a life is given to help another. This harsh reality is much more prevalent in the southern states than here in our community.
Our program steps in and offers an alternative by transferring them to us to make the space that is needed to help the next one.
Volunteer
We are very grateful to our team of volunteers. Over 300 people provide over 20,000 hours of service each year to help us in every aspect of our organization. Please visit the volunteer page of our website for more information. We hope you consider joining us!
Donate
Whether you provide an item from our wish list or make a monetary contribution, attend our fundraisers or purchase HHDR merchandise, your support makes it possible for us to step in and bring hope where there was none. It provides lifesaving medical intervention when we receive a dog who has a treatable illness or injury. It allows us to seek specialized training for those who need a little help learning their manners. Please visit our donate page for more information on how you can help.
