🥹 How far would you go for a pet who desperately needed help?
“I had a dream that I brought the animals to meet the band Rancid, since we had named some cats after them. We were laughing about it when we woke up but then I was like, ‘I’m going to do it.’
…and I did. And it went just like my dream. The band was really great and they invited me in. I called Bryan and was like, ‘Guess who I just spent 45 minutes with… They put us on the guest list and the kittens have pictures with them and they're going to get adopted.’”
When it comes to pets looking for a good home, we all know there’s definitely no shortage.
Shelters and rescues around the country are doing everything they can to find these sweet, deserving animals a family who will love and care for them…
But the number coming in is often higher than the number getting adopted.
Instead of letting the odds lead to defeat, jme Thomas–Founder and Executive Director of Motley Zoo Animal Rescue–uses it as a push to do things differently.
And along with a little rock n’ roll flare, they work.
The ‘death row dog’ who needed help
“I got an email that said, ‘These dogs will die today if you don't help.’ I took it very literally, like it was directed at me, telling me, ‘You need to do something right now.’ So I went to Bryan and I was like, ‘Hey, can we give this a try?’”
When jme read that email, she didn’t realize it would change the entire trajectory of her life. All she knew is she could save a dog who needed her at that very moment.
There was only one problem. Jme and her husband, Bryan, had already welcomed a rescue dog into their home. And Jasmine didn’t play well with others.
Jasmine was a little Rat Terrier with a reputation for trying to bite everyone. But when jme made the hours-long trip to go meet her, she had no idea.
Arriving at the adoption event, jme made a beeline to Jasmine, excited to meet her. Within minutes, Jasmine was wrapped happily in her arms. No biting, no fussing.
Jasmine was their first dog, and being a little anxious and vocal at times, their experience with her helped jme hone in on dog behavior.
So when she got that email plea to save a dog, jme knew she could make it work.
Not long after arriving at the shelter, she was being dragged through the parking lot by a German Shepherd/Golden Retriever mix. It was her first experience with a big dog.
“When I got home, I was like, ‘If I were a dog like Jasmine, how would I want to meet a new dog?’ I tried to think like a dog. I thought if the dog is already in the yard when Jasmine comes out, maybe she will just accept that.”
Bringing the dog outside, she let Jasmine come out to meet her. There was no barking, no aggression… Jasmine didn’t mind.
And when Bryan came home that day, Jasmine was in jme’s lap and the rescue was at her feet.
Six weeks later, she was in her forever home.
When saving one life actually saves more
“I realized that everybody thinks someday they'll do something. When I looked down at that dog and I was petting her, I was like, ‘Someday is today. I am helping save a life today.’ And that really changed my perspective on my whole career and everything that I was doing.”
While originally chasing her dream of fashion design, she had a deep realization that she could be saving a life every single day.
So after that first experience with fostering, Bryan and jme couldn’t imagine life any other way.
Many of the pets came to them scared, untrusting of people and unsure of what was happening.
Time and time again, however, jme noticed the transformation. With time, consistency, and patience came trust.
And when these pets went on to their forever family, putting them in yet another new environment surprisingly wasn’t hard on them. It was actually easier.
Jme got to work with these pets and show them what it’s like to live in a family setting. They got to practice with her first before settling in with their family.
Interestingly, jme also noticed how fostering changed Jasmine. She went from a typical “needs to be an only dog” situation to initiating play with one of the many foster dogs.
“About three years in, we had this dog that was just so challenging for us. One day, Jasmine was making these weird noises and I saw her kind of bouncing and turning with stiff legs and barking, and I was like, ‘What are you doing?’ I realized Jasmine was trying to play.”
These experiences only proved to jme that even with dogs you think you know, exposing them to a new, positive environment can change who they are.
Giving them a schedule, crate training them, and using positive reinforcement, these pets’ anxiety and stress levels greatly reduced.
They got to see who the dogs really were behind the walls they put up to protect themselves, and it inspired her to do more.
A ‘motley crew’ of pets in need
“I realized there are really good dogs in shelters that have done nothing wrong. They wound up there primarily because people have failed them in some way. It's not usually intentional, but people fail to train them, they fail to socialize them, they maybe just can't afford them, or they just take on more than they can really handle…”
Working with a few different rescues, jme never really wanted to be the one in charge.
While she was happy supporting their work however, she started to notice things happening behind the scenes that didn’t sit right with her.
Chatting with a few people who felt the same way, they determined that if they wanted to see change, it would have to start with them. Motley Zoo was born.
“We’re kind of non-traditional people, and with the varied backgrounds of the people that come and work with us and the varied species that we work with, it just all fit. That's the founding principle of it… And then the whole rock and roll theme thing came next.”
At first, they weren’t sure how hard they should lean into the music theme. But they had the perfect opportunity to test it out.
A couple of kittens had been in their care for weeks, and no one showed interest. They changed the names from Tiger and Pooh to Axl and Slash, and within 10 minutes, had multiple applications.
Then, back in 2013, a wild idea stemmed from a dream. They started asking bands to take pictures with the adoptable pets. First Rancid, then Slayer and Snoop Dog… And the list goes on.
With the musicians’ help, the animals were finding homes in record time.
And when you have up to 150 pets in foster homes at a single time, getting them into their forever homes just means more can be saved.
Working with local shelters and organizations, there’s a constant flow of pets who rely on humans to give them a second chance.
To address the high rates of euthanasia across the country, jme also works with volunteers who pick up dogs at risk from other states and drive, or fly, them to safety.
She also offers a pay-what-you-can dog handling class for her community. The idea is that, by learning how to address their dog’s issues, people can work on building a bond instead of quickly surrendering.
Welcoming neighboring rescues to participate, the collaborative nature behind Motley Zoo allows pets to truly benefit in the long run.
The impact that keeps Motley Zoo going
“Even when it's really hard, I know my life has mattered. I have made a difference and it's a small difference in a small corner of the world, but I have made an impact on people and animals that no one can take away… There are 5,200 animals and almost double that number of people or more that those animals have impacted, and whose lives have been changed.”
In the 17 years Motley Zoo has been a rescue, jme has witnessed the countless positive effects they’ve made on the animals, the people, and the community.
Volunteers who come in to foster end up discovering a new passion. Maybe they end up with a new purpose in life. They end up with new friends who feel as deeply about pets as they do.
And the pets benefit greatly too, of course. Shelter pets are often seen as broken, unwanted, messy, untrained. But again, it’s due to no fault of their own.
As people, we have the responsibility to make sure our pets know how to be part of a modern society. We need to work with our pets instead of expecting they’ll be perfect from day one.
“People have the ability to change their own lives but animals do not have that ability. They cannot take the initiative and change their life for the better, so I find it very important that we are stewards of these animals if we want to bring them into our lives.”
So when Motley Zoo rescues a new pet and places them with a foster, that pet now has a chance to learn what it’s like to be part of a family. Not ‘just’ a pet. A family member.
This is where we see a bond form unlike any other.
Once they’re out of the stressful shelter environment and they’re with people who can take the time to work with them and reward them, their demeanor changes.
“I think there is a sense of gratitude that is expressed by rescue animals that isn’t felt by animals who haven’t had to struggle… These dogs that have gone through some rough things tend to be more resilient… And the new boundaries and structure help the dog cope.”
They start to trust. Their true personality starts to come through. And if you’ve ever rescued a pet, you likely know the feeling too. They just know you saved them.
Whether you’ve got your own zoo of rescue animals or a single, special pet, they thrive in your care because they know what to expect. You’ve given them a life that’s filled with love.
But if you had to step away for a few days, would someone know exactly what to do to keep them happy and safe?
If something happened, could someone confidently step in and take your place?
Putting a Cotl plan in place ensures your pet is taken care of, just the way they’re used to, no matter what.
Discover how the process works or book a call directly with Sean, our founder and CEO, to see what a plan could look like for you.
