Meet Ashton!

In mid-July 2025, a scruffy stray with a slight limp arrived at Wake County Animal Shelter. The staff noted his limp seemed to improve, and on August 26th, I brought him home. At his first vet appointment days later, we discovered the devastating truth: Ashton's hip and femur were severely malformed—likely from being hit by a car as a stray. Without immediate FHO surgery, he'd face a lifetime of chronic pain. The cost? Nearly $4,000.

I was fortunate enough to afford it — though it wiped out a significant chunk of my emergency savings — but his veterinarian told me something I'll never forget: "Ashton is lucky you adopted him. If someone else had adopted him and returned him because they couldn't afford this surgery, the shelter probably would have euthanized him."

That moment changed everything. I realized how many adopters face impossible choices between financial hardship and returning a beloved pet. I thought about shelter dogs with heartworm or broken bones who are euthanized because treatment costs too much. And I thought about shelters themselves, struggling with limited budgets for basic supplies.

That's why I created Ashton's Hope Foundation. We support animal shelters and rescue families in North Carolina by providing essential supplies to shelters, sponsoring medical treatments for shelter animals with conditions preventing adoption, helping adopters afford unexpected vet expenses, and keeping rescued animals in their forever homes.

Every dog deserves what Ashton received: a chance, proper care, and a loving home. Because Ashton was lucky — but luck shouldn't determine whether a rescue dog lives or dies.

A brown dog lying on a couch with a bone-shaped chew toy in its mouth, looking up with a playful expression.

How we help

Ashton's Hope Foundation bridges the gap between under-resourced animal shelters and the families who love them. We provide critical supplies, fund life-saving medical treatments, and support adopters facing unexpected expenses — ensuring every rescue animal has a chance at their forever home. Through compassion and community support, we're reducing euthanasia rates and keeping beloved pets where they belong: home.

  • We provide essential supplies to animal shelters across North Carolina — including food, bedding, cleaning supplies, medical equipment, and anything else needed to keep shelter animals healthy and comfortable while they wait for adoption. By removing supply barriers, we help shelters focus on what matters most: saving lives.

  • We fund medical treatments for shelter animals with conditions that might otherwise prevent their adoption or lead to euthanasia — including heartworm treatment, orthopedic surgery, dental work, and other necessary care. No dog should be overlooked or euthanized simply because they need treatable medical attention.

  • We help new adopters afford unexpected veterinary expenses discovered after bringing their rescue home — preventing families from facing the impossible choice between financial hardship and returning a beloved pet to the shelter. Because keeping animals in their forever homes is just as important as getting them there.

A brown puppy lying on a soft blanket on a couch, looking at the camera with a curious expression, next to a plush teddy bear.

How You Can Help

Every donation to Ashton's Hope Foundation directly saves lives.

Your contribution provides shelter supplies, funds for life-saving surgeries, treats heartworm and other medical conditions, and helps families keep their rescued pets. With every dollar you give, you ensure that shelter animals get the care they need and the forever homes they deserve — because no dog should be euthanized simply because treatment costs too much.

A light brown dog with blue eyes lying on green grass, panting with its tongue hanging out.