Who we are
Hi! Welcome to Big Floof Foundation, where our paws are big, but our dreams are even bigger. Thank you for taking the time to learn more about our rescue, vision and most importantly, our big floofs.
My name is Rachael. I was born and raised in a rural Pennsylvania town (shoutout Williams Valley), and I am a proud Penn State Alumni. As a middle child, I am a self-proclaimed adventure seeking, ambitious, independent gal. There are many things in life I value and love, but above all, big floofy pups are my brightness on a dim day. Call me crazy (I’ve been called worse), but I believe nothing is as pure, genuine and sweet as the love of a pup. IYKYK.
I am lucky to have four, honor roll floofs to call my own: Gracey Bear, Paw Pierce, John Riggins & Dennis the Menace. They range in age from 1 year up to 8 years young! They have redefined my definition of love, compassion, patience, and exercise time and time again. Within the past two years, I have had my fair share of fostered, bonus pups and have experienced many emotional highs and lows.
Aside from pups, health and fitness has always been a priority for me. I have gone all in on quite a few fitness endeavors such as teaching group exercise classes ranging from kickboxing aerobics to HIIT training to dance fitness, competing in 10+ NPC bodybuilding competitions, to running half marathons, Tough Mudders, and Spartan Races.
My dream with this rescue is dual purposed and taps into my top two passions - one day I would love to open an animal sanctuary to help relieve the overcrowded shelter system. Shelters are necessary for animals; however, the pups that find themselves in shelter care have already been failed and a shelter environment is incredibly stressful. Shelter environments make it extremely difficult for pups to relax to show you their true personalities and potential they have within. An animal sanctuary would be a temporary resting place for pups in need to decompress, learn from one another, explore wildlife and live in a home.
In the short term, I’d love for us all to bring our best-selves forward and MOVE. Sunshine and movement are two undeniable cures for sadness and many health ailments. This is true for both humans and K9’s alike. We will be organizing many mile challenges and 5K’s partnering with local shelters to try to clear the shelters for the day and bring all pups out for a paired walk or run! Did you know in some shelters, pups can be limited to one hour per week outside of their kennel if they’re lucky? We are founded in Fort Worth, TX; however, we will be looking to expand our race series outside of TX and will always allow a virtual option!
