A Saintly Dog-ooder

2009-07-02T14:56:00.000-07:00

Wrinkles like canyons and sun-dried cracks in her skin show testament that it's been a rough 15 years for Lisa Kavanaugh. Yet if you ask her, it's been an experience she wouldn't trade for anything.

Fifteen years ago, Lisa lived in the mountains west of Denver and commuted to the city everyday to run her chiropractor business. On the surface, her life seemed as though it couldn't be better. She had a job she enjoyed, a husband she loved and a Saint Bernard dog that she received as a wedding present. Not having a dog growing up, the puppy made her life a challenge, but a joy nonetheless. It was nothing compared to the challenge she would soon face.

Lisa's marriage began to unravel, and she and her husband divorced. Soon after, Lisa began rescuing Saint Bernard dogs, but when someone in her town began poisoning the dogs, she quickly decided to move.

Though the divorce left Lisa with terrible credit and absolutely no money, she sold all of her remaining possessions and was able to scrape up enough to buy an empty 35-acre plot of land on the wind-swept high plains just east of Colorado Springs. She loaded her 15 dogs into her Jeep and made south for her new home.

To call her living arrangement for the first year "meek" would be a grandiose over statement. She had no electricity, no septic system, no heating, besides that emitted from her furry companions, and her closest water source was more than a mile away. Her "home" consisted of canvas, zippers, mosquito netting and endless lumps for bedding. Thus began Blue Lion Animal Rescue, though Lisa still couldn't afford to run the rescue full-time. She had to keep her chiropractor business going part time - three days a week - in order to buy food for the dogs, and supplies for pins and dog houses.

"I am so NOT a carpenter," Lisa laughed, reflecting on the first dog houses she built. Yet the hardest part was making sure the dogs had enough water. This was particularly challenging during the winter as water would freeze during trips back and fourth to the water supply and Lisa would have to use her bare hands to break it up. It would be five years before Lisa could afford to have a well dug, though she did upgrade to a mobile home fairly early on after the first year.

Now, Lisa cares for more than 100 large-breed dogs. For most of them, Lisa was their only chance for survival. Many of the dogs have questionable temperaments or severe injuries due to extreme neglect or abuse. These dogs are cases that were either ordered to the rescue, or so maligned that the more traditional humane society and lesser rescues couldn't take them.

"There's no such thing as a bad dog," exclaimed Lisa, reciting her motto. "Just bad owners."

What's even more amazing is that, although she does have volunteers from time to time, Lisa still cares for and trains all of these dogs alone. She feeds and waters more than 100 large-breed dogs ranging from Mastiffs, Saint Bernard Dogs, Pit Bulls and many more, twice a day - a good chunk of time - and spends the rest of her time just trying to keep up with the maintenance tasks.

There have been numerous times over the past 15 years where she's felt defeated.

"Sometimes I felt like I was crying for days," she recalled. But she never entertained the idea of giving up.

"I remember one time a friend of mine said to me, 'just give up the dogs and move back to town.' I replied, 'as hard as things are, and sometimes I don’t think I can go on another day, I found something I love enough to give up everything for, and most people never find that.' So I am actually the lucky one.”

Even if her only reward is abundant tail wags and slobbery kisses.

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A Saintly Dog-ooder