Colorado Puppy Mill Rescue Founder Recognized As HomeAgain Hero of the Year

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Nov. 14, 2013 - PRLog -- Theresa was one of five finalists selected  by an esteemed panel of judges including Captain Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger & Lorrie Sullenberger (Hero & Animal Rights Lovers), Steve Dale (Steve Dale’s Pet World), Betsy Saul (Co-Founder of Petfinder.com), Dr. Jane Brunt (American Association of Feline Practitioners Past President), and Brian Kilcommons (Author & Award Winning Dog Trainer).  Theresa was then selected as the winner by a public vote conducted on the HomeAgain website.

A pediatric oncology nurse, wife, mother and dog lover, Theresa started National Mill Dog Rescue in 2007 after witnessing in person a large-scale puppy mill. She returned home from this life-changing experience with 13 puppy mill survivors, knowing that she would devote all of her future rescue efforts to putting an end to this cruelty.  Since then she has passionately led her organization to rescue over 8,000 dogs from commercial breeding facilities across the country. She was chosen because of her outstanding dedication to companion animals and the significant impact she has made in her community.

Theresa Strader, NMDR founder, had this to say about being chosen as the Hero of the Year.  "It truly humbles me to know that I was chosen to be the recipient of this very generous award in the company of such wonderful, dedicated people," said Theresa Strader. "The work is tireless and never ending but the rewards we reap in animal rescue are unparalleled."

Theresa hopes that winning this award will help spread awareness about the cruel reality of puppy mills and the desperate need for change in the commercial dog breeding industry. Her greatest hope is that people will ultimately choose to adopt from shelters and rescue groups where wonderful furry friends wait for a place to call home.

In honor of her service and commitment to companion animal health and welfare, HomeAgain will make a $10,000 donation in her name to National Mill Dog Rescue.

About National Mill Dog Rescue
National Mill Dog Rescue is a Colorado Springs based 501(c)(3) organization that rescues, rehabilitates, and re-homes discarded commercial breeding dogs from puppy mills.  NMDR relies on volunteers to care for the dogs, from the moment they are surrendered to the time they are adopted and beyond.  They depend on the generosity of the public to provide the high level of care they do for the dogs and to continue to be able to save them.

National Mill Dog Rescue started with a single sentence in an e-mail that Theresa Strader received: “50 Italian Greyhounds in need.”  A large-scale breeding operation, or ‘puppy mill’ was going out of business and all 561 dogs were going to auction.  One of those dogs was a seven-year-old Italian Greyhound named Lily.  The moment their eyes met through the wire of Lily’s tiny cage, Theresa knew her life had changed forever and that this new life would include Lily and a mission to bring about lasting change.

About HomeAgain
The national HomeAgain Pet Recovery Service reunites more than 10,000 lost pets with their families each month and has brought more than one million lost pets home. HomeAgain is more than just a microchip. Once enrolled, a pet's microchip is registered in the HomeAgain National Pet Recovery Database for its lifetime and members receive additional services such as Lost Pet Posters and Alerts, a 24/7 Pet Emergency Hotline and travel reimbursement of up to $500 for dogs or cats found more than 500 miles from home. HomeAgain memberships are renewable annually for a fee of $17.99.  For more information, visit www.homeagain.com.

Website: http://milldogrescue.org

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/nationalmilldogrescue