START Animal Rescue
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START transports at-risk animals from high-kill shelters in CA to rescue partners in the Pacific NW. Since our founding in 2011, we have saved over 13,000 pets.
Everyday thousands of helpless and defenseless animals both young and old are killed in Southern California shelters due to lack of homes and shelter overcrowding. Shelter Transportation Animal Rescue Team (START) is a 501©(3) non-profit organization formed in May 2011 by a group of active and concerned animal lovers—Steve Spiro, Suzanna Urszuly, and Rene Ruston—to address the horrifying issues of
06/02/2026
Introducing JACK SPARROW. JACK was set to be euthanized at the busy Stockton Shelter in California, but thankfully one of our rescue partners in the Pacific Northwest, stepped up to welcome him and he was scheduled to leave on our transport that same day. But during his medical exam, we discovered JACK SPARROW was heartworm positive, which meant he could no longer travel. 💔
We didn’t want to leave him behind to die in a shelter, so we scrambled to find another plan… and we did.
JACK SPARROW is now safe with a wonderful paid medical boarder in California! She agreed to care for him and take him to all his vet appointments.
His second heartworm test came back positive, as expected, but only for adult worms and not microfilaria, which is encouraging.
And when JACK SPARROW went to the vet… everyone completely fell in love with him.
He is incredibly sweet, charming, and full of joy.
Right now, the hardest part is keeping this happy boy calm. Dogs undergoing heartworm treatment need to keep their heart rates low, so the vet is sending medication to help him rest and get safely through treatment.
Thank you all for helping us give JACK SPARROW the second chance he deserves. He will be costly to save, but we are committed and grateful to for committing to his care after we treat him for the heartworm.
We’ll keep you updated as he heals
➡️We are accepting donations for him at
➡️startrescue.org
➡️just click donate
➡️and write “Jack Sparrow in the note
06/01/2026
🚨Dogs and cats are not objects. They are living, feeling beings — and our laws should reflect that.
🚨We’re supporting Daisy’s Law- Companion Animal Family Member Act, a proposal to strengthen animal welfare protections and close gaps that allow illegal breeding, neglect, consumer fraud, and preventable harm to continue.
Daisy’s Law would help:
• Recognize dogs and cats as sentient beings with protected welfare interests
• Require courts to consider an animal’s best interests in custody disputes
• Allow court-appointed advocates in abuse and neglect cases
• Strengthen breeder licensing and oversight
• Improve identification and traceability through microchipping and registration
🐾This is not radical. It is overdue.
Animals suffer when systems fail.
🐾Daisy’s Law is a practical step toward accountability, better enforcement, and real protection for dogs and cats.
➡️ 🚨Please sign the petition here:
https://www.change.org/p/enact-daisy-s-law-companion-animal-family-member-act?recruiter=153588845&recruited_by_id=6bd6180b-7e80-4415-b0a7-1a02a4394d8f&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&share_id=PHgxFJM4w4 ❤️
❤️🩹What is being reported about Miranda’s Rescue is heartbreaking, disturbing, and a reminder of something everyone in animal welfare needs to take seriously
Saving a dog does not end when they leave the shelter.
Recent reporting says Miranda’s Rescue in Fortuna, California is under investigation after dogs were allegedly found buried on the property, with some reportedly having apparent bullet wounds. Investigators are also reportedly looking into whether dogs were accepted from shelters and rescue groups along with large placement donations, then falsely reported as adopted as part of a possible fraudulent scheme to collect funds while failing to provide proper care and, in some cases, causing or concealing their deaths.
This case is still under investigation, and if this is all true, we want absolute 🚨🚨JUSTICE FOR THE ANIMALS. 🚨🚨
🚨🚨🚨That is why we are asking people to help get the word out so that all relevant details, records, and facts can get to the proper authorities investigating this matter.
➡️If you have direct information, please contact the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office tip line at 707-268-2539 or email [email protected].
If your concern involves donations, nonprofit funds, false fundraising claims, missing records, or misuse of charitable assets, you can also file a charity complaint with the California Attorney General’s Registry of Charities and Fundraisers using Form CT-9.
🚨🚨🚨If animals are seized, reclaimed, or returned from Miranda’s Rescue, local shelters may need immediate help with space, fosters, adopters, supplies, and rescue placement.
If you are a qualified foster, adopter, or rescue partner, now is the time to contact those agencies and offer help.
***START Rescue has never sent animals to Miranda’s Rescue. We will continue to thoroughly vet, investigate, monitor, and conduct in-person visits at every drop-off to our our contracted receiving partners - to help ensure that every animal we transport is truly safe.***
https://krcrtv.com/north-coast-news/eureka-local-news/mirandas-rescue-tips-pouring-in-detectives-chasing-every-lead-sheriff-says
05/26/2026
RANGO was only FOUR MONTHS OLD when he was euthanasia-listed at Stanislaus in May 2025.
At the shelter, he was extremely mouthy and overstimulated…likely one of the reasons he kept being overlooked. And as a black dog, he was already up against another heartbreaking reality: black dogs are so often passed by in shelters, despite being just as loving, goofy, beautiful, and deserving as every other dog there.
START decided to save his life and give him the time, training, and patience he needed.
He came to Portland and landed in an AMAZING foster home with people who were committed to seeing him succeed. His foster family worked hard with him, helped him learn better manners, and watched him slowly grow into the wonderful dog he was always capable of becoming.
And somewhere along the way… they fell completely in love.
Today, RANGO is officially adopted by his fosters. ❤️
He now spends his days watching the world go by from his favorite window (his family literally rearranged their living room so he could have the best view), going on walks, playing with people, and simply being a deeply loved dog.
Thank you to his fosters, and now ADOPTERS, for saving this boy’s life.
🐾Please consider adopting a BLACK CAT OR DOG. 🐾They are so often overlooked, and they have so much love to give.
It’s often the shy dogs who suffer the most❤️🩹, and that’s why we help rescue so many just like this little one here who we picked up a few days ago. If you want to help a dog make it out of a shelter, please consider covering the cost of seat for an animal, or a few, or even a whole vehicle full.
💚SPONSOR A SEAT💚—> link in bio
🚐We helped a lot of puppies make it out of shelters this week, including this adorable girl who we picked up and brought to , one of our amazing rescue partners in the Pacific Northwest 🏔️ She’s going to be such an amazing dog and make one special family very happy!
This wiggle-butt was as enthusiastic as they come to have escaped the very scary shelter and our amazing rescue-assistant Sierra, was thoroughly delighted to join the welcome-committee 💚😆🐾
Please welcome COWGIRL to the START crew! She’s up for adoption in Portland already and is a wonderful girl but needs a calmer home without children because she likes to herd (nip at) little running feet! She’s a timid little gem and came from a rescue group who ran into some permitting issues and needed to secure spots for 33 dogs in 10 days while they addresses the problem.
We took in a few of their dogs including Miss Cowgirl here.
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