Today we’d like to introduce you to Shareen Harding.
Hi Shareen, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
It all started when we got our first family dog when I was in high school, Biscuit. He was a 6-year-old miniature schnauzer. That was when I realized that I had a love for dogs. After his passing, I started saving all the neighborhood stray and injured animals. I would bring home lost dogs, save injured birds and I even tried to care for baby rabbits my dad found in our lawn mower. There was one stray I got to keep and her name was Gizmo, a tabby cat.
She was with me as I finished college at SDSU and then traveled on to Creighton University to get my nursing degree and back to California where I would start my nursing career. I always knew, eventually, I would get another dog when the time was right. When I bought my first home and got settled in I was ready to add a new fur baby to the family. I got Kenai, a miniature schnauzer in October 2010 as a puppy. Over the years of caring for him and Gizmo, I would see all these animals being thrown away and unwanted and I always said, “If I could give half what I do for my fur babies I could make a huge difference in the lives of abandoned dogs and cats.” Then that dream turned into me saying one day I will have a rescue. Instead of me just sharing posts of all these animals in need I would be able to just go rescue them myself.
Stop asking others to fix the problem, but become part of the solution. Of course, I had a million reasons why the timing wasn’t right, so it seemed just that a dream for one day. In January 2021, I took a leap of faith and launched my vegan health and wellness company and began my journey as an entrepreneur. I had no idea that this business opportunity was more than just a nutrition and skincare business, but an opportunity for me to grow my mindset and start to dream those dreams I shelved many years ago. Post-2020, there were a lot of dogs being surrendered to the shelters as we all got back into the workforce and went back to our normal routines. So, the increase of posts flooding my social media about the shelter overcrowding crisis in southern California just got worse.
I was feeling more and more of a tug to look into starting my rescue, but I was afraid too. I was afraid of what others would say, like “You’re a nurse with great pay and you want to open a rescue and you can’t make money running a nonprofit. I started sharing about this dream with my business partners and I was supported and told to go for it. What was I waiting for? In December 2021, I finally decided that the timing may not be perfect, but I was ready to start my rescue and grow as we go. In June 2022 my business was official in California and by October we were a 501 (c) (3) organization. I started by fostering (2) puppies for a local shelter and then started pulling dogs from the local shelters.
We have rescued 11, adopted 6, 4 are in foster and 1 unfortunately passed during surgery. We strictly run on donations and grants, so any additional expenses that come up I cover personally. Always making sure the Kenai’s House residents have all they need. Since my health and wellness business is what gave me the courage to start my rescue I have aligned the 2. So, all commissions from my health and wellness business go directly to Kenai’s House.
In May, I took another leap and decided to be the best pack leader I could be. I got trained to be a dog trainer so I can train my dogs and be able to support their needs as they work to adjust to life outside of the shelter. This has empowered me and given me the skills to feel confident as I work with my rescues. Some come with abuse, fear, and a lack of confidence.
We are now offering training sessions. package information will be LIVE on the website soon.
I am 1 year into my business and happy with how much we have grown. As we continue to grow we need more reliable fosters and sponsors for the dogs that are rescued. Both of these will help us be able to afford to rescue more dogs and make sure they have a safe place until thto live, food, supplies and training while they wait for their furever home.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The crazy thing is I thought it was going to be so easy to find fosters, get donations and support. I thought who isn’t going to want to help the innocent adoptable, sweet faces get a second chance.
I was wrong. I have rescued dogs from the shelter for adoption and the adopter has changed their mind last minute, as well as multiple fosters leaving me to care for the majority of my rescues myself. I have been lucky to have found one amazing foster. I would like to say a huge thank you to Sandi for stepping up to foster Pascal and being so loving and patient as he continues to adjust. Rescuing stray dogs from the shelter means unknown history, which leads to the possibility of a rescue needing extra work before being adoptable to the public. This adds to the length of time a dog has to stay with me before I can start looking for their forever home.
People have a preconceived notion that rescues are throwaways and they are not willing to pay for a rescue dog, as they would a dog from a breeder. This makes it very difficult to rehabilitate these dogs and get them adopted and then do it again for another. A lot of the time we, as the rescue, have put much more time and money into a dog then we will be able to adopt the dog for. I am working on changing this stereotype with each of my dogs, showing that they have value and are worthy of a second chance. That is why we have adopted a new slogan “I may be a rescue, but I have value.” This slogan speaks to both us as a rescue and for the dogs.
As you know, we’re big fans of Kenai’s House, Inc. For our readers who might not be as familiar with what you do. Can you tell them about yourself and the brand?
I am the CEO of Kenai’s House, Inc a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) animal rescue. I rescue dogs from local shelters and give them a second chance at life. I provide a home, food, love, care, and training to all my residents. I am proud that I am building toward being a full-service rescue where my clients will have everything they need before, during, and after adoption.
I am not in the business of just adopting as many dogs as possible, but making sure they go to great homes and their owners have all the resources they need to be successful pet parents to avoid them being surrendered or abandoned again. We currently offer lifetime support, pre and post-dog training, boarding, and yearly meet-ups (coming soon). Kenai’s House is here to change how the community views rescues.
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The most important lesson I have learned during this journey is to know your worth both physically and monetarily. We entrepreneurs tend to underestimate what our time costs while building our business. We let others dictate what we should be charging for our expertise and time rather than building our brand to bring in our ideal customers. I have had a few adopters choose not to adopt due to the adoption fee and I am ok with that. I understand that when things don’t work out initially, that there is something bigger and better on the other side of, ‘no.” The beautiful thing is that after every no or let down something bigger and better has come every time. I know what I am building toward and the countless lives that I will be able to save by staying true to myself and my brand at Kenai’s House.
We are currently looking to raise money for an Impact Crate. Why an Impact Crate? Impact crates are military grade, durable, breathable, and safe for all dogs. With some of our rescues coming to us with high anxiety, fear, and other potential issues your everyday wire crate is not safe. Many dogs will injure themselves trying to escape these crates and some injuries are bad enough for a vet visit or even worse can cause death. This crate will be used to house our newly rescued residents during and after transport. We are looking to raise $1400
Pricing:
- Adoption fees start at $350
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kenaishouse.org
- Instagram: @kenaishouseinc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shareen.harding/
- Other: https://linktr.ee/elevate_w_shareen?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=d03195f5-fc84-4f86-98bf-847d4e96a716
Image Credits
Sandi Marasco and Hank Darling
