Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rachel Salisbury. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Rachel, thanks for joining us today. Looking back at the decisions you made early in your career, particularly whether to join a firm or start your own, do you feel you made the right choice for that stage of your career?

We started by fostering for another rescue. We were already offering doggy daycare and boarding services, and thought that we might as well do some good with our skills. Both of us grew up with animal companions, and an understanding and empathy for the “underdog”. The rescue we fostered for was a greatly educational experience – it helped us to see from the inside what we would do and what we wouldn’t do if we were in the rescue’s shoes.
After a few years, we moved to Grey county and purchased our first home. It was a natural next step to open our own rescue. We did a ton of research and preparation before taking in our first official R&R Rescue animal in 2018. In 2019, we became a registered charity and haven’t looked back since.

Rachel, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

At R&R, we now offer so many services to the community! First, our business is separate from the charity.
In order to pay our bills, we do Doggy Daycare, Pet Boarding, and Pet Grooming.
Under the charity, we operate the rescue, which includes taking in owner surrenders, shelter pulls, strays, abandoned, and abused animals; rehabilitation, and rehoming. We currently take in only dogs and cats, though as we expand we would love to help other animals as well, and we often assist in wildlife rescues and transports.
We specialize in power breeds and abuse cases, have a soft spot for the rottweiler breed, and have 3 of our own at home!
We are proud to have begun to make a difference in our community and beyond, whether through giving difficult / behavioural dogs a nice clean groom that they can’t receive elsewhere, teaching a dog who’s been hit and kicked their whole lives to trust that they will never be harmed again, providing life-saving veterinary care to a cat dumped on the side of the road, or educating our community on responsible pet ownership – our lives revolve around all things “pet”.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

Rob and I were highschool sweethearts! We met when I was in my first year of highschool, and started dating when I was 17 years old. Maybe you don’t believe in love at first sight, but I believe that we were meant to find each other. We worked on building and maintaining a strong relationship, and never let go. We are a team; we’re partners in life, so of course we are partners in business / charity too.
Having a business relationship with someone takes a lot of trust and a matching of skills. Rob is great at in person interactions, which I struggle with. I’m skilled at communicating in writing, while Rob definitely isn’t. We complement each other’s skills and learn from each other all the time, applying what we learn to better ourselves and our business & charity work.
We also have an amazing board of directors for the charity, who we could not do any of our charity work without!

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Growing up, I was the youngest of 5 children. I learned to behave. “Don’t speak unless spoken to”, “children should be seen and not heard”, women should submit, be meek and don’t stir up trouble. Keep the peace. Anything to keep the peace. Well, I’m a redheaded gemini; those were not easy lessons for me to learn, but as a shy kid with anxiety problems, I learned to internalize my frustrations. When humans didn’t want to deal with an emotional child, I would vent to my pets. I told them everything and they always listened. They didn’t have a time limit, they didn’t judge me if I cried to them. They never lied to me. There’s a purity in animals.
I connected with animals on a deep level from a young age, and grew that understanding over many years through educational courses, dedication, and intensive hands-on learning – but at my own pace as well. When you get to do something you love, you’ll find that you deep-dive and want to learn everything you can, and never stop. This is my passion.
Animals don’t have a voice in the same way we do. Dogs are often treated as money-making machines for backyard breeders and puppy mills. Tiny kittens are thrown from vehicles. Dogs are killed for biting the foot that kicked them. It’s not okay and even if we have a small voice, I believe that it’s our responsibility to use that voice for good. I will never not stand up for another being because it’s scary. I’ve learned so much from dogs and cats. My confidence has grown. My knowledge and understanding has grown. I can work with a terrified dog and recognize their fear, triggers, signals, and reactions, and effectively communicate with them over time to adjust their behaviour.
I had to unlearn shyness. I am unlearning anxious living. I unlearned staying quiet. Rather, I learned to speak up, become brave, face tough issues head-on, and overcome some of the lasting effects of abuse.
Your raising is not who you are. I learned to take responsibility for myself and those under my roof. I learned to not blame my difficulties on trauma, but to continually work through it and help others in the process. I learned not to hate myself and to accept, but challenge physical and mental illness, even through the stubborn stigma. I am worthwhile, and so is every little life that we try to help.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rrrescueresort.com
• Instagram: @rrrescueresort
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/rrrescueresort
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYJeP1evyK2i3BVCLbZxQug
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.ca/biz/r-and-r-rescue-and-resort-wiarton
• Other: Tiktok: @rranimalrescue

Image Credits
Candra Schank Pet Photography