Root Rescue

🐾 MEET MOOSE — OUR SENIOR LAB 🤎

Meet Moose, the biggest love you’ll ever meet and quite possibly the biggest couch potato, too. 😂🛋️

One thing is for sure… this boy LOVES his food! 🍗 And don’t worry, we’re keeping him in check because we want those senior joints feeling their best! 😉

Moose came to us as an owner surrender, and today he’s enjoying the good life in foster care — soaking up the sunshine, enjoying his cozy naps, and dealing with his very annoying foster sister… a younger Black Lab who just happens to look a lot like him. 😂🐕‍🦺

Moose is:
🤎 Dog friendly
🐱 Cat friendly
🦮 Great on leash
🏡 Potty trained
🛋️ Professional couch potato
🍖 Professional snack enthusiast
❤️ An absolute sweetheart

Seriously, Moose is the best boy. He has completely won the hearts of everyone he meets — especially his foster mom, who has fallen completely in love with him and is even considering adopting him herself. 🥹

But before she makes that decision, she wants to give Moose the chance to find his forever family. And we believe he deserves one.

Moose is looking for a big, comfortable home with plenty of yard space where he can stretch out his tired paws, enjoy the sunshine, sniff around the grass, and live out his golden years surrounded by love. 🌳☀️🤎

Apartment living just isn’t going to be enough for this big boy. He deserves space to roam, a soft place to land, and a family who will love his old soul as much as we do.

And we have to say a HUGE THANK YOU to one of our fosters Janine Panzarino for bringing Moose to our attention and giving us the opportunity to save him before he was euthanized. ❤️

Because of that, Moose is here today — safe, loved, spoiled, and waiting for the family who will make him theirs forever.
Moose, you deserve nothing but sunshine, soft beds, full bellies, and a forever home. 🐾☀️🤎

Could you be the one to give our sweet senior his happily ever after?

📍 Newark, NJ

🏡 Adoption inquiries welcome through ROOT Rescue

🐶 HELLO, DENVER! 🤍

We’re so excited to introduce you to our newest ROOT Rescue boy!

Thank you to Blunt K9 LLC for reaching out when Denver’s family needed help finding him a safe new home. We understand that sometimes life circumstances change, and we’re always grateful when families choose to reach out for help rather than leave their pets without a plan.

Denver is 56 lbs, neutered, fully vaccinated, microchipped, and heartworm & Lyme negative. ✅🐾

His mom also helped sponsor his board and training with Blunt K9 LLC, which is such an amazing opportunity for Denver! His training will help him learn, grow, and become the best version of himself while we get to know him and search for the perfect family.

And this boy is SWEET. 🥹 He did wonderfully at the vet, LOVES pup cups 🍦, enjoys going for car rides 🚗, and would make the perfect hiking partner for an active family! 🥾🐾

Follow along as we get to know Denver and work together with his trainer to find him the forever home he deserves. 🏡🤍

Welcome to ROOT, sweet boy. 🌱🐾

🐾 MEET OUR ADOPTABLES! 🐾
These incredible pups and our handsome little cat are still waiting for someone to say, “You’re the one.” 🥹❤️ Could one of them be your next best friend?

🍓 STRAWBERRY — Pittie Mix | Female | 3–4 months
Our sweet little lover girl! 🍓 Strawberry is playful, affectionate, and would make the perfect hiking companion. She’s still just a baby, so she’ll need structure, patience, and guidance as she learns and grows. She’s up to date on her vaccines and will be spayed soon. 🐾

🐶 FRECKLES — Cocker Spaniel | Male | 10 months
A loving little goofball who is ALWAYS happy! 💕 Freckles will greet you with his signature wiggly butt and make sure you know just how excited he is to see you. He’s neutered and up to date on his vaccines.

🩵 MOOSE — Labrador | Male | 8 years
Our senior boy who deserves the absolute best retirement home. 🥹 Moose is potty trained, neutered, and up to date on vaccines. He is the biggest couch potato — he’ll happily sleep all day and only gets up when it’s time to go potty… or when he smells food! 😂 Like any Lab, he LOVES to eat. He’s incredibly loving and will even nudge you for attention. Moose is looking for a calm home where he can enjoy the rest of his years surrounded by love. 🛋️❤️

🤍 DULCE — Mini Goldendoodle | Female | 3 years
Our dainty little 11-lb companion girl! Dulce is spayed and is the sweetest little lap dog. She follows her person everywhere and simply wants to be by your side. If you’re looking for a tiny shadow and a professional cuddler, Dulce may be your girl. 🥰

🍬 CANDY — Schnauzer/Terrier Mix | Female | 8 months
Our longest resident. 💔 We honestly don’t know if it’s her unique looks or her adorably quirky personality, but somehow this little girl is STILL waiting. Candy is absolutely adorable, playful, and does best with another dog who enjoys having a playmate. She’s spayed and up to date on vaccines. We would love nothing more than to finally see Candy find her forever family. 🥹🍬

💙 BLUE — DSH Gray Cat | Male | 4–5 months
Our little kitten bean who we’ve watched grow up! 🥹 Blue is a playful, gentle boy with beautiful gray coloring that almost makes him look like a little Russian Blu

💙 Meet Blue! 💙

Blue is officially ready to find his forever kingdom! 👑

This handsome 4-month-old Domestic Shorthair may be a little mister independent, but he has so much love to give. He enjoys doing his own thing, but he’s also a wonderful companion who loves being around people and other animals. Whether he’s chasing feather toys, climbing his cat tree, or attempting to scale the walls like Spider-Man, Blue is always finding a way to keep everyone entertained. He’ll definitely bring plenty of fun—and just a little bit of chaos—to your home!

Blue was one of the lucky kittens rescued from a factory in Newark during a large TNR project we completed alongside Ironbound Cats Inc. . The colony was made up mostly of gray and gray tabby cats, and together we trapped, spayed/neutered, and returned nearly 20 cats—we honestly lost count. TNR is a huge part of what we do throughout Newark’s Ironbound neighborhood and surrounding communities, and every rescued kitten reminds us why this work is so important.

Now it’s Blue’s turn to have the happy ending he deserves.
Blue is neutered, fully vaccinated, microchipped, dewormed, and has tested negative for both FIV and FeLV. He gets along wonderfully with both cats and dogs and would love a home with another playful companion.

If you’re looking for a kitten with a big personality, endless entertainment, and lots of love to give, Blue is ready to make your home his kingdom. 💙

📍Located in Newark, NJ. Apply to adopt through the link in our bio or send us a message to learn more!

It must be Chihuahua Week. ❤️🐾

This week, we’ve welcomed not one, but two Chihuahua mixes into ROOT Rescue.

Meet Buster, our handsome fluffy little guy, and Luna, our tiny sweetheart. Both came to us as owner surrenders through no fault of their own. Their families made the incredibly difficult decision to entrust us with finding them the loving forever homes they deserve.

Buster is already fully vetted and ready for his next chapter, and Luna will be receiving all of her veterinary care very soon.
Every day, our inbox fills with requests for help. As we were welcoming Buster and Luna, we were also contacted about two medium-sized dogs left without a caretaker after their owner sadly passed away. The need never stops, and every story reminds us how important rescue truly is.

We wish we could say yes to every animal, but we can only do that with the support of our amazing community. Whether you foster, adopt, donate, or simply share our posts, you’re giving animals like Buster and Luna a second chance.

Here’s to hoping their stay with us is a short one—and that their forever families are just around the corner. ❤️🏡

Some weeks hit heavier than others. 💔🐾

The truth is… rescue has been feeling especially hard lately.

In just the last week and this week alone, we welcomed 4 new dogs into ROOT Rescue. Four little souls, each with their own story, each deserving safety, love, and a second chance.

🐾 Bridget — a tiny stray found wandering in Ironbound, scared and alone. No microchip. No one has come forward looking for her.

🐾 Blue — found as a stray in Roselle. His stray hold officially ended yesterday, and now this sweet boy is fully vetted and searching for the loving home he deserves.

🐾 Leo — a sweet Yorkie mix who came to us through owner surrender.

🐾 Candy — a Yorkie/Schnauzer mix who has already experienced more than any dog should. Abused and dumped at a park, left behind as if her life didn’t matter. Thankfully, a kind family stepped in, saved her, and made sure she got to safety.

Every intake changes us a little.

Behind every rescue is a story of heartbreak… confusion… fear… and loss. Dogs who don’t understand why they were left behind, why their family disappeared, or why they suddenly have to start over.

For owner surrenders, we know life can be complicated. We understand hardships happen. But it doesn’t make it any less heartbreaking for the animals caught in the middle.
What hurts most is knowing how many more are still waiting.

Our shelters are overflowing.
Rescues are stretched thin.
Fosters are scarce.
And the calls for help never stop.

The same is happening with our community cats—sick, injured, abandoned, neglected, dumped. So many innocent lives needing help.

We wish we could save them all.
We wish saying yes was always possible.
But right now, the need is greater than ever.

Please help us help them.
Foster. Adopt. Donate. Share.
Spay and neuter. Microchip your pets. Be their voice.

Because every animal deserves to feel safe.
Every animal deserves love.
And every animal deserves a chance. 💚

Meet Blue 💙

Wednesday was already a long day. Our team had been on the road for hours, exhausted and ready to finally head home, when around 9:30 PM we received a call about a stray dog that had been safely secured by kind samaritans near Warinanco Park in Roselle, NJ.

Without hesitation, we made our way over.

When we arrived, we met the sweetest boy. His tail wagged as he greeted everyone, happy to soak up attention from every person around him. He almost seemed to think he was on some exciting new adventure—but behind those bright eyes, there was also confusion. He looked like a dog searching for something… or someone.

Sadly, no one came.

Our vet scanned him for a microchip, but there was none. He is also not neutered. They estimate he is about a year old—still very puppy-like, playful, curious, and full of life.

Blue appears to be a medium-sized terrier mix, weighing about 30 lbs and slightly underweight. But that won’t be for long—we’ll make sure this sweet boy gets everything he needs and help him get back on his feet.

The hardest part of rescue is wondering how dogs like him end up alone. Was he lost? Was he abandoned? Was someone looking for him? Or was he left behind?

Right now, Blue is under New Jersey’s mandatory 7-day stray hold while we wait and hope his family comes forward. So far, no one has claimed him.

It’s heartbreaking because Blue is truly special. He is gentle, affectionate, and has the most striking icy blue eyes. Our vet team quickly agreed on the perfect name for him—Blue. 💙
Even more amazing, he has been wonderful with other dogs and cats.

If no one comes forward for Blue, he will be fully vetted and eventually made available for adoption. He may also be in need of a foster home soon.

For now, Blue is safe. Loved. And no longer alone.

If you recognize him or have any information, please reach out.

Yayyyyy… puppies! 🐶💕 Exceptionally cute, but also a LOT of work.

Meet our rowdy little girls: Dolce, Prada, Gucci & Chanel ✨ Yes—all girls!

These sweet sisters came to ROOT Rescue from an accidental litter after their owner made the difficult but responsible decision to surrender them so we can help find them loving homes. We’ll also be helping mom get spayed in July/August to prevent this from happening again.

The girls are around 10 weeks old, currently weighing about 4–5 lbs, and are expected to be around 10–15 lbs full grown. Mom is a Maltese mix and dad is a Jack Russell Terrier—safe to say these girls definitely inherited that fun, spunky terrier energy! 😂

They’re playful, curious, and growing so fast. According to their foster, they’ve already mastered going up and down stairs all by themselves (even though they’ve definitely been a little spoiled and love being carried 😅).

Puppies are adorable, but they’re also a huge commitment and responsibility. If you’re truly ready for the time, patience, training, and love they need, we’d love to hear from you.
We are currently looking for fosters and accepting adoption applications for these girls. 💚

📩 [email protected]