A Promise to One Dog. A Lifetime of Showing Up.
Some rescue stories begin with a happy ending. Shannon Williams’ story begins with a dog who never got one.
Eleven or twelve years ago, Shannon came across a Labradors and Friends Facebook post about a red pit bull on his last day at a shelter. She pledged a small donation, hoping someone would step forward to save him.
The next day, she learned that no one had. He was euthanized.
“I was so sad for him, and disappointed with myself that I hadn’t stepped up for him,” Shannon remembers.
That heartbreak became a promise.
“I promised him, and myself, that I was going to step up for the next dog I saw that was in dire need, in his memory.”
That next dog was Blacky, a partially blind black pit bull who seemed to have every strike against him.
“He had every strike against him, it seemed. I got in touch with the rescue, offered to foster him, and the rest is history.”
But Blacky didn’t just find a foster home. He found his forever mom. Shannon adopted him, and he remained by her side until his passing.
And the promise that brought them together continued long after Blacky was gone.
More Than a Decade of Showing Up
Over the years, Shannon has fostered numerous dogs, including her current long-term foster, Oso, who has been with her for two years. When Oso came into rescue, he was facing heartworm treatment, and Shannon was there to help him through it. She also walks dogs on weekends, helps at adoption events, has transported dogs in need, and supports LAF with monthly donations.
Along the way, dogs like Oso and Gracie (formerly Birch) have become part of her story, too. Gracie is another foster who found her forever home right where she started — with Shannon! Sometimes the best foster homes turn into forever homes.
For Shannon, the rewards go far beyond the dogs themselves.
“Volunteering is good for my soul. And I have made some great friends at LAF.”
She loves watching frightened or sick dogs blossom into happy, loving companions and seeing families discover the dogs who were meant for them.
“I love seeing all of these humans work together to help a dog find its forever home, and to help humans find their fur baby.”
When asked what keeps her coming back despite the difficult days, her answer is simple:
“The knowledge that the dogs need us. There is a never-ending supply, and they need as many of us as are willing to step up to help them.”
There’s a Lid for Every Pot
One of Shannon’s favorite lessons came from her grandmother.
“As my grandma once said, ‘There is a lid for every pot.’”
Shannon sees that truth in rescue every day. Different dogs touch different people, and sometimes the right family takes a little longer to arrive.
“Some just have to wait longer for their lids, and we try to help them as best we can during that time.”
And for anyone considering volunteering but unsure whether to take that first step, Shannon has a message:
“It will reward them in ways they probably can’t imagine right now.”
Thank you, Shannon, for turning one heartbreaking goodbye into more than a decade of second chances. And thank you, Blacky, for being the beginning of such a beautiful journey.