Our Mission
We aim to save shelter dogs from possible euthanasia. Dogs found in animal shelters always have behavioral issues. From excessive barking, leash reactivity, to nipping. We believe with the correct training program they will all improve greatly and there IS a forever home out there for them.
Goal One
Remove dogs from the highly stressful kennel environment. Most of our dogs come from shelters in the San Bernardino and Riverside County areas that are currently at or over capacity.
Goal Two
Get the dogs the training they need to become enjoyable family members. Most shelter animals have behavioral issues that are highly correctable with proper training. Without this training they are unadoptable and will be euthanized.
Goal Three
Get them adopted! Matching a dog with the right family is a very big part of the process. We spend a great deal of time getting to know potential adopters to get the right fit. The goal is to fit a dog to a family that best benefits the dog AND the family.
Correct training is the glue that holds this all together. All our dogs receive intense training by our wonderful dog trainer, Ashley, at A Fetchin Good Time. Adopters will be asked to continue the training with their dog. In most cases the training will come with your adoption fees.
About Us:
It all started with two heelers named Shyla and Cruz. The founder of Cruz’n Animal Rescue adopted these two from Orange County. They had been in a kennel environment for years and had many behavioral issues. Shyla would not let visitors touch her and was shaking with anxiety, Cruz had a bite history and was not trusted with the volunteers at the kennel. They both had very little human interactions and no person to bond with. A chance was taken, and these two were adopted, the path was long and difficult but eventually they settled into a rhythm with their new owner and became beloved family members.
Cruz’n Animal Rescue was started by Kim Walker, after moving to Joshua Tree, California. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit animal rescue established in 2023. Kim became aware of a large problem with abandoned dogs in the community, dogs whose owners would abandon them in the middle of the desert to fend for themselves, ultimately ending in death or severe dehydration/malnutrition. All these dogs would eventually end up at local shelters where they often acquire behavioral issues, making them unadoptable and putting them at the top of the euthanasia list. We know that with the proper training, we can decrease and altogether eliminate most of these issues. So, we select seemingly unadoptable dogs, get them the training they need, and find a compatible adopter.
Shyla, in 2016, after the removal of the ticks, brambles and foxtails she was covered in. She was pregnant and lost her litter from fear.
Cruz, in 2016, he was brought to a shelter in Texas by his family who didn’t want him, then brought to California by a rescue.
