For dog owners, their dog is more than just a pet. A dog may be their friend, joy and life. Some people would argue that they would not be the person they are today without their dog. However, hardships can sever this sacred bond. To keep this connection strong, Harmony Dog Rescue was founded. 

Established this year by Timothy Lydon, Harmony Dog Rescue takes a different approach to the idea of pet rescue. Located in Harmony Township, their focus is less on rescuing dogs from bad situations, but on rescuing their owners through giving them the assurance that their loved companion is in safe hands. Through his 20’s, Lydon traveled the world, teaching English and working on farms. In his travels, he visited many animal rescue efforts, including a chicken rescue in California, a buffalo campaign in Montana and a dog rescue in Ireland. This experience opened his eyes to the world and set him on this path of selflessness. 

Last year, Lydon worked at the Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh. He built his experience with animals and learned the needs of the area.

“We had a Pet Helpline in which people could call in or send emails and I was really drawn to this part of the work. The problems that were hardest to solve were the instances in which people needed temporary emergency boarding for their pets. These were people who did not want to surrender their pets, but instead needed a safe place for them for a few weeks while they were going through a transition,” Lydon said.

A lack of space for these animals bottlenecked the process of tending to these struggling people. Many of these individuals were fleeing from violence and abuse, experiencing medical emergencies or having housing issues. 

“I took a call from a woman who had been sleeping in her car with her two dogs because it wasn’t safe for them at home. We didn’t have space for her dogs, and the shelter she was going to stay at did not have room for them either, so instead of abandoning her dogs, she decided to live in her car with them. That’s just one example, but it’s that woman, and every other individual who finds themselves in a similar position, who we are starting this organization to help,” Lydon said.

Harmony Dog Rescue is teaming up with three domestic violence shelters to give those who are struggling the chance to seek help without worrying about their pets, who give them a reason to persevere. While still at the beginning of its three-phase start, the rescue is building its network and has plans to expand.

At the moment, the rescue is primarily focused on aiding those escaping violence and abuse. As their capacity increases, those undergoing medical emergencies and housing issues will be added to the roster. By summer 2025, the rescue plans to break ground on a kennel in Harmony Township to have a permanent shelter for the animals of these hard-shipped people.

The largest setback for the Harmony Dog Rescue is volunteers. The rescue can not move forward to its future plans unless it has more people who can host a rescue dog while their owner is enduring hard times. For this reason, if any reader is interested or knows someone who may be interested in helping out this noble cause by caring for a rescue dog for a period of time, please apply to be a foster at harmonydogrescue.org, or contact the rescue at [email protected] for more information. Donations are welcomed as well. With the help of others, the Harmony Dog Rescue will become a sanctuary for those who would give anything to protect their pets while they fight their battles in life.