Legacy Paws Rescue

Legacy Paws Rescue We rescue the forgotten. Rehab the broken. Match them with the humans who needed them just as much. My journey started early. With love and gratitude,

Domenica

Veteran-Owned 501(c)(3) | Catawba, NC | EIN 33-2211382

🐾 legacypawsrescue.org/links Hi, I’m Domenica, founder of Legacy Paws Rescue, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to saving the lives of senior and special needs dogs. My life has been an unwavering commitment to both animals and people, shaped by resilience and an absolute belief in the power of a second chance. As a child, I organized my first

fundraiser, collecting donations in my neighborhood to deliver to our local animal shelter. I knew then my purpose was to give a voice to the voiceless. I pursued this passion professionally, working my way up from groomer's assistant to veterinary technician. Along the way, I learned firsthand how transformative love and medical care could be, especially for the most broken souls, like Lizzy, a dying bait dog whose strength and forgiving spirit changed my life forever. Service, Sacrifice, and a New Calling
My dedication to service extended to my country. I am proud to be a disabled veteran of the United States Air Force. Following my service, I completed nursing school and became a Registered Nurse (RN). My dream of becoming a psychiatric nurse practitioner was tragically cut short by a devastating accident that ended my nursing career. That heartbreaking pivot forced me to redefine my purpose. I channeled my commitment to care into new paths, including becoming a Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for foster children. Navigating a deeply challenging custody situation in my own life strengthened my resolve and opened my eyes to the broken systems people face, fueling a new dream: creating a recreation center for children. Legacy Paws: Where Healing Begins
Legacy Paws Rescue is the culmination of this journey—a reflection of every challenge, every act of service, and every belief I hold dear. It’s more than just a safe haven for animals; it’s about creating a community where two souls—one paw and one heart—can heal together. Here, every life is valued, every dog gets the medical care they deserve, and every soul has the chance to build a lasting legacy of love. Thank you for being part of this journey with me. Together, we can create a kinder world—one paw, one heart, and one life at a time.

Dobby needs a home, and he needs one now. 🐾This boy has already been through more than any dog should. He spent his enti...
05/14/2026

Dobby needs a home, and he needs one now. 🐾

This boy has already been through more than any dog should. He spent his entire first year of life crammed into a crate too small for his body — so small it affected the way he developed. He stumbles when he walks. He can't roughhouse like other dogs. And then, after all of that, he was dumped on the side of the road.

That's when Legacy Paws found him. And from day one, despite everything, Dobby has been nothing but sweet.

Right now Dobby is recovering from his neuter and a limp that requires rest and calm. But he's at the rescue with other dogs, and the second he sees them he forgets all about resting — because all he wants to do is play and love on everyone around him. His body can't handle it, and it keeps setting him back.

He deserves better than crate rest with a heart full of love and nowhere to put it.

Dobby needs:
- A calm, quiet home (fewer or no dogs ideal)
- Patience and routine while he heals and learns
- Someone willing to work on basic training — this is the first time in his life he's had the chance to learn
- A person who sees his little stumble and loves him anyway

He gets along with every person and animal he has met. He is gentle and grateful and so, so ready to be someone's dog.

**Can you foster or adopt Dobby? Do you know someone who can?**

Please share this post — it costs nothing and could change everything for him.

Contact: [email protected]

05/04/2026

Nobody told Kyra she has two titanium hips.

She didn’t get the memo. She’s too busy engineering her own ball launcher.

Bring it up the hill. Watch it roll. Chase it into the creek. Bring it up the hill. Repeat. Forever.

No human required. No permission asked. Full zoomies, self-managed.
We used to worry about overdoing it with her — she gets sore when we throw the ball too much. So she just… solved that. Figured out a pace she can sustain, a game she can run herself, and a hill that does the hard part for her.

Kyra is our resident Rottweiler and the heart of this sanctuary. When a new rescue arrives scared and uncertain, it’s Kyra who tells them — without a single word — that this place is safe. That I am safe. She’s been doing this job longer than anyone, on two titanium hips, and she shows up every single day like it’s an honor.

She’s not available for adoption. She’s already home. 🖤

🐾💙

05/03/2026

I've been putting off writing this post.
Piper needs a home. And I genuinely don't want her to go.

She came to us as one of 11 dogs found in an abandoned house — 2 moms, 9 puppies, all wasting away. From day one Piper made it clear she was not going to be pushed around.

She is dominant. Complex. She takes time to trust. She needs deep tissue massage to regulate. She may need a few visits before she bonds with you.

And if you are the right match for her?
She will be the best dog you have ever had. I mean that with everything I have.

This is not for everyone. It's for the RIGHT person.

👉 Read her full story:
https://www.legacypawsrescue.org/piper

👉 Apply to adopt:
https://www.legacypawsrescue.org/adoption-application

💛 Legacy Paws Rescue | Catawba, NC | Veteran-Owned 501(c)(3)

05/02/2026

The leg. THE LEG. 😂🐾

Dobby has many talents. Controlling his back leg during a belly rub is not one of them.

This boy came to us at 24 lbs — neglected, shut down, and had never once been rubbed on a belly in his entire life.

He's making up for lost time.
Dobby is available for adoption and he comes with unlimited belly rub requests. Just saying.

👉 Apply to adopt: link in bio
💛 Legacy Paws Rescue | Catawba, NC | Veteran-Owned 501(c)(3)

05/01/2026

This is Dobby. This is Piper.
One was dumped on the side of a road at one year old — too small, too broken, too overlooked to matter to anyone.
One was found in an abandoned house with 10 other dogs — starving, infected, waiting for someone to show up.
Nobody showed up for either of them.
Until we did.
Now they both fall asleep in my lap every night while I massage away the tension their old lives left behind. Dobby on one side. Piper on the other. Both of them completely trusting. Completely safe. Completely loved.
And both of them still need a home.
Dobby is almost ready — he just got neutered and microchipped this week. Piper has been ready. She's just waiting for the right person to see her.
If you've ever felt like you were the dog nobody picked — you might be exactly who they need.

👉 Meet them both + apply to adopt: link in bio
💛 Legacy Paws Rescue | Catawba, NC | Veteran-Owned 501(c)(3)

05/01/2026

🐾 Dobby’s Surgery Update — and What We Learned

Our sweet Dobby made it through his neuter surgery, and we came home with more information than we expected.

First, the sweet part: the vet can actually estimate a dog’s age by the size of certain anatomy. Dobby is right between 1 and 1½ years old — the exact same age as Piper. We’re pretty sure that’s why they became instant best friends the moment they met. 🐕🐕

Now the harder part.

We noticed Dobby has a shoulder click and a limp. The vet isn’t certain yet whether it’s damage from spending his entire puppyhood crammed into a crate too small for him — or whether he may have torn something. He’s now on strict crate rest for a minimum of a few weeks while we figure it out.

And then there are his teeth — or rather, what they looked like when he first arrived.

Every single tooth was completely coated in tartar. At one year old. The vet’s best explanation broke my heart: when a puppy is kept in a crate too small to turn around in with nothing to eat, they survive however they can. Coprophagia — eating their own waste — is tragically common in severe neglect cases. It destroys their teeth.

But here’s what I want you to know: his teeth are white now. Good food, real bones, things to chew on, and someone who actually gives a damn.

That’s what the right home does. That’s what rescue does.

He has been through so much in his one short year — and he is already becoming a different dog.

He’s on medication and resting, but he is NOT happy about the crate — and honestly? Fair. He’s a social, spirited boy who just wants to be loved.

💌 Want to send Dobby a get-well gift?

Send it to the rescue and we’ll film him opening it on camera — paws, nose, wiggles and all. You can also send him a note and we’ll read it to him out loud.

Every bit of love he receives reminds him that his old life is over and his real life is just beginning.

📬 Legacy Paws Rescue · Catawba, NC

📧 [email protected]

🌐 legacypawsrescue.org

Veteran-Owned 501(c)(3) · EIN 33-2211382

Every rescue has a story. Dobby’s is just getting started. 🐾

04/29/2026

Dobby went to get neutered today.

So Piper and Kyra decided to cope the only way they know how.

Piper invented underwater search and rescue in the creek. Lost a frisbee in two feet of water, interviewed the rocks, filed a report with the cattails, then felt around the bottom with her paws until she found it. Methodical. Focused. Unbothered.

Kyra — two titanium hips, zero patience for standing around waiting on humans — just started throwing her own ball. Throw. Retrieve. Throw. Retrieve. No notes.

Meanwhile I’m just standing on the bank wondering how Dobby’s doing.
We’re all handling it in our own way. 🖤

Come home soon, buddy. The creek isn’t the same without you.

🐾💙

04/28/2026

He arrived at 24 lbs.
Today he weighed in at 50 lbs. 🐾

He arrived at 24 lbs.
Today he weighed in at 50 lbs. 🐾

Dobby was dumped on the side of the road at one year old. He spent his whole life in a crate so small he couldn't grow properly.

Contorted. Underweight. Wounds from neglect. Severe tartar on every tooth — even his front ones. In a one-year-old dog.

He didn't grow properly because he was never given the chance to.
Today he is building muscle. Straightening out physically. Learning what it means to be a dog. Showing us a soul so gentle it breaks your heart open in the best possible way.

Tomorrow he gets neutered and microchipped — the last step before he's ready to find his person.

Help cover his procedure:
👉 paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/5453092

Read his full story + apply to adopt:
👉 legacypawsrescue.org/dobby

💛 Legacy Paws Rescue | Catawba, NC | Veteran-Owned 501(c)(3)

04/28/2026

Most rescues place animals. I needed to do more than that.

I started Legacy Paws after surviving things that had no business being survived — violence, loss, a traumatic brain injury, starting over at 50 on five acres in the NC foothills with nothing but dogs who needed someone to show up.

What we're building here isn't a kennel with a website.

It's a sanctuary with woodland trails, a creek, a Sensory Garden, and a memorial space called Rainbow Bridge Island. It's a matching system that prevents failed adoptions before they happen. It's a product line that funds the mission and reaches children who need it. It's a community that stays connected long after the adoption.

I'm building the place I always needed.

If you want to know the whole story:
👉 legacypawsrescue.org/about

💛 Legacy Paws Rescue | Catawba, NC | Veteran-Owned 501(c)(3)

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Catawba
Catawba, LA
28609

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+13184223750

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