The saying “dog is man’s best friend,” is especially true for Jackie Koerner.

Koerner, a financial aid coordinator at Saint Louis University Law School, is the co-owner of St. Louis Pet Rescue, an organization which she helped found in June 2009. The program helps pets find new homes when their owners can no longer care for them.

Before starting St. Louis Pet Rescue, Koerner was no stranger to adoption events. She has  volunteered at several in the past, but was unhappy with the way they usually worked.

“I’ve been working in pet rescue for awhile and I noticed that a lot of people were gossiping and not really focusing on the animals,” she said. “We would sit at adoption events and I felt like I was getting the brunt of the work. I thought, why aren’t these people pitching in? Why aren’t we all working together?”

Koerner wanted to create a better environment for herself, the volunteers, and, of course, their furry friends.

“It was such a negative thing,” Koerner said. “I thought, ‘why are we turning our energy into negative energy? Why not turn it into positive energy actually help the animals?’”

And so St. Louis Pet Rescue was born.

According to their website, The St. Louis Pet Rescue is a non-profit organization that saves pets from local animal control facilities and other negligent situations.

The facility seeks to end the overpopulation and abandonment of cats and dogs through education programs about spaying and neutering, training, and breeding practices.

The St. Louis Pet Rescue does not employ any paid staff.

The facility relies totally on the time and generosity of volunteers, though one day they hope to expand to provide affordable veterinary services and serve as an animal shelter.

The main thing the organization does, however, is find the unwanted pets they take in loving foster homes and safe environments with families who have the means and time to care for them.

“It’s really strange how this has all happened. The whole rescue just kind of took off on its own,” Koerner said.

So far, St. Louis Pet Rescue boasts 20-25 foster homes. Currently, the organization cares for approximately 70 pets.

The rescue, run by Koerner and her husband, does all of its own fundraising work. Trivia nights, dog washes, and bake sales are all held to raise money to help benefit the rescued pets.

Though many animal adoption organizations exist, Koerner points out that there are key differences between St. Louis Pet Rescue and other animal rescue and adoption shelters.

“We focus primarily on pets whereas with stray rescue, they focus primarily on strays,” Koerner said. “We focus on the animals that have been in homes.”

Pet adoption does not merely help the abandoned pets who are adopted, but is  also beneficial to new pet owners as well.

“For the owner, I can assure them that their pets will go to a secure, normal environment and they will be happy,” Koerner explained. “It helps the person’s psyche as well.”

Koerner felt her work in pet rescue was very important, especially to those in desperate situations.

“Some people feel they have no other resource to go to when they’re evicted from their homes or have to give up their pets because they can’t afford the pet food,” she said.

“We’re trying to be that resource for offering people a solution to keep them with their pets like the Pet Food Pantry and also having a place to go so they’re not euthanized in an Animal Control facility.”

The hardest part of running the rescue, Koerner said, is the time it takes to run the organization.

“It’s mostly recognizing that I don’t need to be open and working twenty-four-seven… I’m not Walgreens. People can wait until morning. It’s been tough striking a balance.”

Between working at the SLU Law School, family time, and keeping St. Louis Pet Rescue running, it’s a wonder she has any time left to spare.

“I think that now, finally, after two years I’m achieving that balance,” said Koerner.

By day, she works in the law school.

In the evenings, she’s bringing peace of mind to many owners and their pets.

Thanks to Koerner’s devotion to this organization, many of man’s best friends will find safe, new homes and pet owners can feel at ease.