Rescue the Rescue began as a call for help leading to a  volunteer effort in 2023, sparked by a crisis on the island of Roatán. A local animal shelter was suddenly abandoned by its founder, leaving over 500 animals with no food, no care, no funding—and an eviction notice.

Awareness and concern by an animal advocate and generous donor, Graziela Kaufman made phone calls of outreach to get a team together. This team was led by Renee Murphy Deighton, Karen Collins, and Tanya Walter. The Rescue the Rescue volunteer effort reached out to like-minded individuals, building a team of passionate volunteers, supporters and donors. Together, they took on the monumental task of nursing these animals back to health, improving their living conditions, and finding loving homes before time ran out.

What started as a dire situation — rampant disease, starvation, and overcrowding, evolved into an inspiring story of resilience and compassion. Over nearly two years, Rescue the Rescue built international partnerships and mobilized a powerful community of animal lovers. The result was the largest mass animal relocation in Honduran history, with many animals now thriving in homes across Roatán, Canada, and the United States.

With the shelter closed and all animals safely relocated, our team realized the journey wasn’t over—it was just beginning.

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Our Evolving Mission

Out of the original crisis, RTR Spay and Neuter was born. Our new mission focuses on long-term, sustainable impact: preventing suffering before it starts by addressing the root of the problem—overpopulation.

By providing and subsidizing spay and neuter services across Roatán, we aim to stop the cycle of abandonment, neglect, disease, and starvation that so many animals face. We're using the same network and expanding our village of incredible supporters, donors, volunteers, and partners that helped us in the beginning and will help us meet our vision into the future—because we know that prevention is the key to lasting change.

We believe that with proactive care, community education, and continued collaboration, we can ensure that what happened in 2023 never happens again and we can end the suffering and abandonment of so many animals as a result of overpopulation.

Together, we can make a difference.