My name is Eileen Mann, and I am a St Croix, USVI resident, a Ruff Night Hair of the Dog bartender, a Ruff Start STX foster, and the proudest of all, I am a Ruff Start STX adopter. My adoption story comes in December of 2024. I had a few Ruff Start fosters, and this beautiful girl, Ginger, came to me because her fosters were leaving the island and heading back to TN. After a few days at home, they realized they couldn’t live without their Ginger girl. It was at that moment

Tippy’s Journey: From St. Croix Roadside to Therapy Dog Katie, the owner of Ruff Start STX, spotted two dogs running along a road in St. Croix. When she returned 15 minutes later, the male had been struck by a car and had passed. She gently picked up the surviving pup—the little girl who would soon be named Tippy—and placed her in foster care. Looking for the right name, her foster chose “Tippy,” after her mom’s childhood dog—and because this sweet pup has tippy toes and a ti

Stella – 2 years old 65-70 lbs. Pitt Mix. Spayed UTD on shots, HW neg. Lived at the dump for about one year before I was able to trap her. She was finally ready to go and has come around quickly in foster. Plays well with other dogs and is learning to be pet and lay on the couch like a family dog. She is a big, laid-back dog ready for a real home.

Charley – 10 month – 45 lb Femail Pit Mix. Spayed, UTD, HW Negative. Charley was found dumped way back in a bush area hiding and terrified. She was emaciated, covered with fleas and ticks, mangey, and just scared. She very quickly came around into the funniest and goofiest personality. She is great with other dogs and would be great for an active owner. She is a swimmer! She still nips when playing, like a big puppy, so probably no very young kids. Cats – interested in bu

This 3-year-old little lady is Shay, and here is her story… Shay was part of a group of a couple dozen or so dogs who were found chained way back in the bush on government-owned property on St Croix. She spent her life, along with many other dogs chained to pallets and used for breeding and whatever else people needed them for. They were fed enough to stay alive and live miserable lives. They were found by our Animal Neglect Detective one afternoon, the next day when it was a

JB wants nothing more than a person to call his own He would be a low-energy companion, he is house trained and not a chewer. His favorite things consist of naps, snacks, cuddles, and sniffing things outside.JB is likely about 4-5 years old. He was living at the dump for just over 2 years before he told me he was ready to go. He was neutered before he was dumped there. He was definitely a pet that was no longer wanted. He has no chip, no family, besides the incredible volunte

This little boy was found in very bad shape in a neighborhood on the West end of St Croix. He was picked up and brought to the shelter where he was checked out and started treatment for mange and a seeping head wound. Winston would require extra time and care that our overloaded shelter does not have time or space for. So, we got that call that little Winston was in need of a new lease on life. We fell in love with his little face and he became a Ruff Starter. He went into fo

Poor Papi is currently the longest-running Ruff Start Resident Dog. He has quite a story. Papi started on St Croix and was picked up by a partner rescue. He was chained up at an empty house, starving, unwanted. Papi weighed only about half what he should. He was just there, alone and stuck day after day after day. When Papi was rescued, he gave his rescuer an actual, giant, human hug. It’s a trait that has stuck with him since he was saved! Papi started his medical care and s

This beautiful girl is Petra. She was found on the North Shore of St. Croix wandering alone. She’d had several litters of puppies and was eventually discarded. Some wonderful people took her off the streets and got her help. Petra is only a year or two old, spayed, heartworm negative, and UTD on shots. She is in foster with a cat and a dog and doing well with both! She LOVES other dogs and will do great with a playmate about her size (medium roughly 45 lbs). While she is a pl

Lincoln (aka Link) came to us following a cruelty investigation. For his first year and a half, he was chained underneath a house. He was almost arthritic in his hind legs already from lack of movement and he trembled a bit with quick movements. I brought Link home and he immediately adapted and soaked up the love from humans and other dogs of all sizes. He has a bit of a goofy hop when he runs to play as his legs are growing back to normal. He figured out a cute and funn

HOPE is a 5-year-old female blue mix. She is spayed and up to date on shots. Hope is heartworm positive. She had eye and skin issues when she came to us as a dog who would be PTS in the shelter. She came from being abandoned on a chain under some pallets in horrible condition. We gave her a second chance. Hope is a sweet, gentle girl who was in foster with a little dog buddy until her loving foster mommy left the island. She is now in foster in a more chaotic space with

MAMA FANCY is a six-year-old, short-legged mix. Spayed up to date on shots, heartworm negative. Fancy was left at a garbage dump just about to burst. She was taken into care just prior to giving birth to nine healthy babies. That was the last litter Fancy will ever have to care for and protect. She was on her own for most of her life most likely. She was very cautious and protective when she came to us as she’s always had to look out for herself and her babies. In her time wi

PIKA is one of our more recent death row dogs. She is almost 2 years old, spayed, up to date on shots, and heartworm positive. She is young, her HW is mild, and can be easily treated. We picked her up on her last day in the shelter. Unfortunately, there just isn’t enough space to hold dogs long-term. Pika was up for adoption for 2 months. She was very anxious and shut down in the shelter environment which made people look right past her when they came for a companion. Almost

This is the miraculous story of Diamond… Diamond was found chained way back in the Bush in a spot where nobody would have found her. She had no shelter, no food, no water, tangled around a tree trunk with about 3 inches free. She had been back there for 2 years being bred and visited maybe once a week and given just enough to survive. Two years, could you imagine? The day I unhooked her, she cried like a human and peed on herself. She led me out of those woods like a bat out

I found Laila shortly after the hurricane. Pulled off on a side road of the highway to stop and make a call. Pulled way down away from road and got out of the car. On the other side of brush pile I saw a little broken body. Laila, a small chihuahua mix was laying on the ground emaciated and unable to move. She was next to the skeleton of another animal likely dumped. One of her back legs was broken in half and rotted. She could not use back end at all. When I got near her sh

This is the story of Stevie…. You’ll probably want to make a drink and settle in for this one. Not the longest, but definitely the wildest, most nerve wracking of rescue stories to date. Part 1 of 3: (October 2019) Stevie was found on the North Shore of St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands. She had horrible burns down her back and living alone in the bush where she contracted tetanus. She was picked up and brought in for care where it was determined the burns were from scalding

Hazard was one of the first dogs I met at Concordia Dump. The guys who manage that dump deemed him “The Boss”. He managed the dog side of things lol. At first we thought he was a bit aggressive with food and towards people. But over the months I spent there he warmed up and actually became my partner in helping me catch the others. They followed his lead and since he trusted me, they would too. He was doing pretty well there and not in as bad of shape as some others, so he s

Duke was the dog who started my mission to help the rest and marked the beginning of an idea now known as Ruff Start Rescue STX. I was at Concordia checking it out and feeding some of the others and a kid came over and started talking to me, asking what I was doing. After a bit he told me there was another dog, and that he needed a vet. I asked him where that one was and if he could show me. He said he lived in an empty building. He walked me over to an abandoned card shack a