By Nichole Fortenbaugh, Executive Director, Dog Star Rescue
Research and reporting support provided by Dog Star Rescue volunteer Ashlee Baldwin, whose interviews with Hounds Town Hartford leadership helped tell the story behind this partnership. Ashlee also authored a recent grant proposal seeking additional funding to expand the program and provide more Dog Star dogs with access to Hounds Town Hartford’s enrichment, socialization, and daycare services.
At Dog Star Rescue, we know that finding a dog’s forever home takes more than providing food, shelter, and medical care. Every dog deserves the opportunity to build confidence, learn new skills, experience enrichment, and simply enjoy being a dog while they wait for their family to find them. Sometimes, the most impactful partnerships begin in the simplest ways.
In February 2025, Dog Star Rescue put out a call for help. Like many animal welfare organizations, we were facing a shortage of foster homes and looking for creative ways to support both our dogs and the volunteers who care for them. That call caught the attention of Bob LeBlanc, owner of Hounds Town Hartford. Rather than simply sharing our post, Bob wanted to find a meaningful way to help. Hounds Town Hartford offered free daycare for any Dog Star foster dog living with one of their existing clients, hoping to reduce some of the challenges that can come with fostering and encourage more people to open their homes to dogs in need.
The offer sparked conversations between Bob, Dog Star Rescue Kennel Director and Good Dog Collective founder Cass Anton, and members of the Dog Star leadership team. What began as a discussion about supporting foster families quickly evolved into something much bigger. Together, we explored how Hounds Town Hartford’s unique approach to enrichment, socialization, and structured play could benefit dogs throughout our rescue program, particularly those experiencing kennel stress, struggling in traditional boarding environments, or at risk of becoming long term stay dogs. Before the day was over, the first Dog Star dog had arrived at Hounds Town Hartford. Neither organization knew it at the time, but that conversation would become the foundation of one of the most successful partnerships in Dog Star Rescue’s history.
Since February 2025, more than 90 Dog Star dogs have benefited from the program. Twenty two of those dogs have received fully donated daycare services while living with foster families. Many others have spent days, weeks, and sometimes even months participating in structured play groups, socialization opportunities, and enrichment activities that simply are not possible in a traditional kennel setting. For some dogs, that experience has been life changing.
At Dog Star Rescue, our average length of stay is approximately four weeks. Dogs who remain in rescue for more than 90 days are considered long term stays and can spend months waiting for the right family. These are often dogs struggling with kennel stress, anxiety, high energy levels, or challenges that make it difficult for potential adopters to see who they truly are. The Hounds Town Hartford program provides additional socialization, enrichment, and engagement opportunities for many of those dogs. Through carefully managed play groups, exposure to new environments, increased physical activity, and opportunities to build confidence, dogs are able to demonstrate behaviors and personality traits that are often hidden in a kennel environment. Shy dogs become more social. Nervous dogs gain confidence. High energy dogs are given an outlet for healthy social interaction and structured play. The result is a more complete picture of who that dog really is and what type of home will help them succeed.
During a recent interview conducted by Ashlee Baldwin, Bob explained Hounds Town Hartford’s philosophy this way: “There’s no bad dogs. They either feel safe and secure or they feel fearful. When we can help them get comfortable and feel safe, that’s when they settle in.” That belief resonates deeply with our own philosophy at Dog Star Rescue. Every dog deserves the opportunity to succeed. Sometimes they simply need the right environment to show us who they are.
One dog who perfectly illustrates that impact is Willow.
When Willow first arrived at Hounds Town Hartford, she was returning to rescue after an unsuccessful adoption. Concerns had been raised about her behavior, and she was struggling with the instability that can come from multiple transitions.
According to the Hounds Town team, Willow immediately connected with staff members and demonstrated strong social skills with other dogs. Over time, they were able to identify both her strengths and her challenges, helping Dog Star Rescue better understand what type of home would set her up for success. After additional support, foster care, and continued evaluation, Willow eventually found her forever family. Today, she still visits Hounds Town Hartford for daycare and continues to thrive. Her story highlights one of the most valuable aspects of this partnership. It allows us to learn more about our dogs than we ever could through kennel observations alone. By seeing dogs interact naturally with other dogs and navigate new experiences, we gain insights that help create stronger matches between dogs and adopters.
The impact doesn’t stop when a dog goes home.
According to Hounds Town Hartford, approximately 10 to 15 percent of the Dog Star dogs who have participated in the program continue attending daycare after adoption. The Hounds Town team affectionately refers to these dogs as “Townies for Life.” These former rescue dogs return to see familiar friends, continue building confidence, maintain social skills, and enjoy enrichment that supports a successful transition into permanent homes. For adopters, it provides an additional layer of support. For dogs, it provides consistency. For Dog Star Rescue, it provides peace of mind knowing that our dogs continue to have access to opportunities that help them thrive. Perhaps most importantly, this partnership demonstrates what can happen when organizations work together toward a common goal.
Animal rescue is rarely accomplished alone. It takes fosters, volunteers, trainers, adopters, veterinary partners, donors, and community supporters all working together to give dogs a second chance. The team at Hounds Town Hartford has become an important part of that community. Their willingness to think creatively, invest in our dogs, and provide opportunities for enrichment and growth has helped countless dogs build confidence, develop social skills, and better showcase their personalities to potential adopters.
We are incredibly grateful to Bob LeBlanc, Operations Manager Jordann Silver, the entire Hounds Town Hartford team, and the many Hounds Town clients who have opened their homes to foster dogs through this partnership. Together, we are proving that a little collaboration can make a tremendous difference. And for the dogs whose lives have been changed along the way, that difference means everything.
Learn More
Interested in learning more about Hounds Town Hartford’s daycare and boarding services for your own dog? Contact the team at [email protected] to learn more about their programs and approach to canine enrichment and socialization.
If you’re interested in adopting, fostering, volunteering, or supporting Dog Star Rescue’s mission, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at [email protected] to learn how you can help save lives, one dog at a time.