Nuzzles & Co. Pet Rescue and Adoption

1. Rescue, rehabilitate, and find forever homes for homeless animals in Utah and beyond – even those with medical or behavioral problems or who are considered "less adoptable" due to their age – and to provide a loving and nurturing environment where they can get healthy and find their families.
2. Provide a resource for Utah's shelters to rescue animals slated for euthanasia due to age, behavioral/medical status, or overcrowding.
3. Increase our adoption capacity through partnerships, mobile adoptions, and satellite adoption centers to connect as many families as possible to their future pets.
4. Maintain financial stability so that we can continue to ensure a high quality of care to the animals in our programs.
5. Through our Purple Paw program, help victims of domestic violence find a safe home for themselves and their pets.

We have redefined the rescue experience, and it all starts with our animals.

1. First, we find them.

Each week, we visit animal shelters throughout our region. We rescue adoptable dogs and cats who are often on these shelters' euthanasia lists.

2. Then we bring them to our Ranch.

At our ranch, our veterinarian gives every dog and cat a medical evaluation and a full spectrum of vaccines. Each is debugged, bathed, spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and micro-chipped. We provide further treatment for animals who need intensive dental work, life-saving surgeries, or other medical procedures.

Each cat enters our socialization program where they receive human companionship and socialization with other cats. Each dog receives a behavioral assessment, basic training, and additional training if needed. Dogs get daily trail walks and the freedom to roam outside or run through our agility course with a volunteer. Cats can stroll around in our sunshine-soaked community cat room or find a windowsill to curl up on. The animals stay at our ranch for as long as they need to until they're ready to succeed in a new home.

For families who participate in our Purple Paw program, which shelters pets of domestic violence victims while their owners escape abusive situations and during their stays in shelters, we hold pets free of cost in the shelter, provide the same medical care and training as our other animals, and help reunite families with their pets when survivors are in safe environments.

3. Then they come to our adoption center to find a loving, forever home.

When our animals are ready, they come to the adoption center. Our trained staff evaluates each animal and gets to know them. That helps our staff make the perfect match to new families. Each night, we transport them back to the ranch where they can play and sleep soundly.

Our organization began in 1990 as a group of volunteers; since then, we've saved and provided homes for over 13,000 pets in Utah. We are members of Utah's No-Kill Coalition, committed to making the state No-Kill by 2020, and have won the prestigious Mutt Nation Award in 2015, given to only one shelter per state for exceptional service and care.

In 2015, we rebranded our organization as Nuzzles & Co., a shelter with a positive and loving message for our pets. We celebrate their attitude, spunk, and resilience, and the finding of forever homes for these deserving and loving pets. Our financial stability and brand positioning put us in a strong position for the years ahead: We have increased our organization's momentum by investing aggressively in greater capacity for both shelter and adoption, and through the development of our on-site medical suite and staff.

This position is illustrated by our adoption statistics: In 2015, we rescued 1,481 cats and dogs from all over the state, a 64% increase over 2014. Once in our care, we provide veterinary care, vaccines, food, shelter and training to prepare these amazing animals for their future homes. We also work hard to help families find the right fit: Adoptions were up 63% from 2014: 1,321 pets found their forever homes through Nuzzles in 2015.

Since our founding, our most significant accomplishment has been saving over 13,000 pets from euthanasia and placing them in loving homes. We have built our 16,000 square foot Rescue Ranch, renovated our Park City adoption center, and established strong community partnerships with shelters and pet stores to increase adoptions throughout the state. We've invested in professional training and an on-site veterinary staff to ensure the highest quality of care for our animals, and we've invested in our brand to reach as many families as possible.

In the future, we plan to open an additional adoption center on the Wasatch Front and to continue to invest in our outreach and community efforts, both to increase adoptions and to decrease the number of unwanted pets in the state. Utah is not yet No-Kill, and along with other shelters and animal organizations we will continue to participate in and lead spay/neuter programs, community education, and increased partnerships to reach our goal of being No-Kill by 2020.