This Man Is on a Mission to Rescue 48 Dogs from 48 States

If there was a competition for who loves dogs the most, Lee Asher would definitely be a front runner. He’s already rescued six (yep, six!) pups over the past few years: Molly, an eight year old pug chihuhua mix, Cali, a four-year old Golden Retriever, Butters, a four year old Chihuahua Terroir mix, Bobo, a four-year old chocolate lab, Lillie, a six year old Saint Bernard, and Stella, a two year old Pit Bull. But that isn’t enough! He’s so passionate about animal rescue that he’s kicking off a cross-country trip on which his mission is to rescue a dog in each of the continental 48 states—with his own pups in tow, of course. We talked to Asher about how dogs have made such a difference in his life and why he’s going on this epic rescue adventure:

When did your love affair with dogs begin?

I don’t remember a time in my life where I didn’t love dogs. My parents used to lose me a lot because as soon as they turned away I would run and pet the nearest dog. In fact, my dad still jokes that my first actual sentence was "can I pet him?" I have always felt a special bond with dogs, instead of going to daycare as a child I volunteered at an animal shelter.

Why are you so passionate about animal rescue?

I think it’s a combination of my love for animals and knowing that if we do not help them and bring awareness to animal rescue than the problem will only get worse. When I volunteered at shelters as I child I couldn’t comprehend why there were so many loving and friendly dogs in the cages.

What is your relationship like with the dogs you’ve rescued?

We have a beautiful and trusting bond. it’s quite difficult to explain but I really do have such amazing dogs and Im confident that it is because I don’t give them anything but the best when it comes to ANYTHING. They get the best exercise, they have the best beds, I give them the best attention and most importantly I feed them the best food.

How has feeding them Ollie impacted their overall health?

They say within the first three seconds of looking at someone you can get a pretty general idea of what they eat. If you know dogs well, then you can do the same with dogs. Buying cheap dog food is the absolute worst thing you can do for your pet. Most people think they are saving money going the cheap route but it’s in fact more expensive than anything because nothing is pricier than vet bills. With everything that Lillie has gone through and with how old she is, she should not be able to hike for three to five miles, but she can and loves it. I am certain that 90% of the reason my dogs are so great and still look like puppies are because I feed them Ollie.

Where did the idea for the Asher House Adventure?

I wanted to put together a community of dog lovers and rescue as many dogs as possible but in a way that has not been done before. I don’t want to just bring awareness to animal rescue—the Asher House Adventure is a way to bring action to it. Action creates change, not just awareness. This is for the people that want to rescue six dogs but can only afford one. This is for the people that would love to rescue even one dog but cannot due to where they live or the cost. This is all action not just talk.

What will you do with the dogs you rescue on the trip?

We will be hosting meet and greets and adoptions at the primary shelters in the states we visit. We are paying for the adoption fee along with providing some other doggy goodies.

How can people help support the cause?

Simple, donate! Just $5 to $10 in order to save dogs’ lives and be a part of a rescue mission that is literally going to make history. Nothing like this has ever been done before and I’m confident the story of this Rescue Mission will last forever.

The Ollie blog is devoted to helping pet parents lead healthier lives with their pups. If you want to learn more about our fresh, human-grade food, check out MyOllie.com.