Hugs For Harry is a Sanctuary devoted to rescuing senior, special needs, and at-risk dogs who have nowhere else to go.
We provide a cage-free environment where dogs live together in thoughtfully matched playgroups, allowing them to experience safety, companionship, and the simple joy of being dogs again.
We believe every life holds value, regardless of age, condition, or past. While many of our dogs go on to loving adoptive homes, some will remain in our sanctuary for the rest of their lives—and that is not a failure, but a promise kept.
These dogs are home. They are safe, they are loved, and they will be cared for with dignity for all their days.
Our Mission
Our Story
Hugs For Harry Dog Rescue was founded as a 501(c)(3)non-profit dog rescue sanctuary in the Spring of 2025 by Melonie Jackson and Alexandra Saunders, and named in honor of a dog who changed everything.
Harry was a pit bull rescued from the brutal underworld of dog fighting. When Melonie met him while working in a shelter, his body carried the scars of cruelty. He had been used as a bait dog — discarded, wounded, and deeply traumatized. And yet, even in his brokenness, there was something unextinguished in his eyes.
Melonie chose to see that spark.
Through patience, quiet consistency, and countless hours of gentle care, she earned Harry’s trust. Little by little, he stepped out from the shadows of fear. The dog once defined by violence revealed his true nature: tender, affectionate, deeply loyal. He became a love-bug — a soul so sweet it was impossible not to be transformed by him.
Harry’s life is the heartbeat of this rescue.
Today, Melonie, Alexandra, Sheila and Eva- and now, all of our wonderful volunteers and staff - continue his legacy by advocating for and rescuing senior, disabled, and abandoned dogs — the overlooked, the fragile, the ones others pass by. Every dog who walks through our doors carries a story. And like Harry, each one deserves the chance to heal, to be seen, and to be loved beyond their scars.
Hugs For Harry exists because one dog proved that even the most wounded hearts can bloom.