Our Mission Statement
To save mama dogs and pups, provide care and enrichment, and find loving, forever homes.
ATR specializes in pregnant and nursing dogs and pups who need time and space to grow and become socialized. Our dogs experience a significant amount of socialization through our specialized programs while in our care. Our puppies go through a specially designed curriculum “Puppy Culture” developed by a team of experts including behavioral veterinarians and credentialed trainers. As soon as they are born and until they leave our care, our pups participate in age-appropriate enrichment activities to help with their socialization and overall development into well-adjusted furry family members. Our mama dogs also work with on site behaviorists who develop personalized programs to prepare them for life as your new best friend. All our dogs are exposed to many experiences to set them – and their new families – up for a lifetime of success. ATR is determined to give adopters all the information available about our dogs so we can find the perfect match. All of our dogs are altered, micro-chipped, and up-to-date on vaccines prior to adoption. Adoption fees paid help cover our substantial costs and fund our life-saving work.
ATR is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and receives no tax or government funding. We do not sell, rent, or share our supporter information with any other organizations or third parties.
GERI HORMEL Founder
“My name is Geri Hormel and I am the founder of Almost There Rescue. What do we do at ATR? We save bitches. No, we don’t go around seeking out malicious, unpleasant women and try to convince them to change their ways (although someone should!). We save dogs. Specifically, homeless, pregnant, large-breed dogs. We scoop those gals up from less than ideal situations and give them a place to birth and raise their pups. We work our tails off to give our pups the medical help, enrichment, socialization, and love that they need on their journeys to finding forever homes.”
Geri was always the girl with too many pets to count – dogs, cats, goats, pigs, horses, and donkeys. She joined the animal rescue world at 16 years old, walking the dogs, working in adoptions, and then enrolling in the Emergency Animal Medical Technician program at Arizona Humane Society. This led her to volunteer at Second Chance Hospital, learning the medical side of rescue with hands-on experience. Geri also volunteered and fostered for many other organizations. Realizing that one of the biggest needs in the rescue world was space and care for large breed pregnant dogs, Geri had her first kennel space built in her backyard so that she could start taking these families home. That was the beginning of Almost There Rescue.
MEGAN WIEWEL Executive Director
Megan’s journey with Almost There Rescue started in 2017 with the care of the Hormel family’s very own dogs. She has a background in animal care and a degree in Communication Studies, making her well suited to oversee operations and the strategic advancement of the rescue. While each day is different for Megan, her primary responsibilities include coordinating animal care and overseeing staff and volunteers.
Megan enjoys being able to help dogs with less than fortunate backgrounds have a second lease on life. She says the position is bittersweet; ‘the bitter’ is having to say goodbye to some of the sweetest, most loving dogs you could ever meet while the ‘sweet’ is the comfort of knowing they are going home with amazing, forever families. Her favorite part of the position is getting pictures and updates from adopters with how the pups are settling in and how their personalities are forming. Megan has fulfilled a childhood dream by being a part of the ATR team!
HEIDI LEYVA Development Director
Heidi oversees all things related to development and marketing, and works nonstop to earn money that directly supports ATR’s mission. Heidi has over nine years of experience in nonprofit leadership; her background and education are in business and marketing. In 2017, she earned a mini MBA for Nonprofit Organizations from the University of St. Thomas Business School. “Of all the meaningful nonprofit work I’ve been lucky enough to have been involved in, ATR is nearest to my heart. Saving the lives of these deserving dogs, alongside the most amazing people is a dream come true.”
Heidi’s been involved in the Arizona rescue world since she started volunteering regularly in 2006. In 2012, she started fostering and later began specializing in medical foster cases and at-risk animals. She refers to herself as a “crazy rescue person” and couldn’t be happier having rescue be her full-time gig!
Three goofy rescue dogs round out the Leyva household. Generally, there is at least one foster dog that resides there too! When Heidi isn’t fundraising for ATR, she is volunteering so she can be hands-on with the pups she loves!
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