TAMPA, Fla. — Lea Haverstock is the kind of person your dogs play with, like they’ve known her for years. She's also the kind of person that will do anything to save an animal, like the time she tackled a coyote that had a jar stuck on its head.
That's why Haverstock founded Maxx and Me Pet Rescue back in 2014. It was named after a dog she once rescued that was stricken with a very deadly cancer.
“Maxx was a rescue golden that my husband and I adopted several years ago. He was young. He had been in an abusive situation,” explained Haverstock. “Despite chemo, he died. He was a gentle giant, and we adored him. He was a dog we’ll never forget.”
But if Maxx only knew just how many animals have been saved by the rescue named after him. Haverstock works tirelessly, often in dangerous situations, to help animals. She told ABC Action News about the time she saved Faith, a dog about to give birth.
“They brought her out, and I brought her immediately home. She gave birth within less than six hours of being at my house, and she did lose her babies. Despite going to emergency vets, she was just too far gone with what she was eating, so we did end up losing her babies,” said Haverstock.
Haverstock said those unfortunate situations will never leave her mind. She knows she can’t save them all, but she goes forward and clings to the silver linings.
“But when you get those stories about how they are doing years later, it is very touching. And just to see how their lives have done a complete turnaround,” explained Haverstock.
Faith has a happy ending, too, and is still living with Haverstock years later. The motto of Maxx and Me Pet Rescue continues to ring true: “It matters to that one.”
“It's like that boy on the beach throwing back the sand dollars, and he was asked why he was throwing one back into the ocean. And he said it mattered to that one. It matters to the dogs and all the animals we take in,” said Haverstock.
Maxx and Me Pet Rescue is always looking for fosters, volunteers and donations.
Don't forget to share your rescue dog or cat stories on the Tully's Tails Facebook Page. We might even share it on Good Morning Tampa Bay.
