Who we are

Lewis County Canine Company is a foster-based dog rescue dedicated to rescuing, nurturing, and supporting dogs in need — with a special focus on those within our Lewis County community.
Though we are small in scale, our mission is big at heart: to make a lasting, positive impact by giving every dog the chance to be safe, loved, and understood.

Through compassion, education, and hands-on care, we work to strengthen the bond between dogs and the people who love them. Every dog we help receives individualized attention, medical care, and the opportunity to heal and thrive in a foster home environment — preparing them for the happy, healthy life they deserve.

As we continue the process of obtaining our nonprofit status, our commitment remains the same: to serve our community, support local families, and be a voice for the dogs who need one most.

Because every dog deserves to be loved. 🐾

Meet Our Team

Behind every dog we rescue is a small but deeply committed team of people who believe that every dog deserves to be loved.
Our board members and volunteers come from different backgrounds, but we share one mission: to support dogs in need and the families who love them.

As a foster-based rescue, our work depends on the compassion, dedication, and collaboration of our team — from the homes that welcome our dogs to the hands that guide them through healing and into their forever families.

Here are the people who help bring LC Canine Company’s mission to life every day.


  • President & Co-Founder

    “Rescue is about supporting families as much as saving dogs.”

    Tina has been a dedicated foster and advocate for dogs long before Lewis County Canine Company was born. Over the years, she has fostered for multiple rescues and helped hundreds of puppies and adult dogs find their forever families. While she’s had every type of dog pass through her home, her heart has always had a soft spot for two very special groups: tiny dogs… and pitties.

    Her true passion is caring for the most vulnerable — pregnant dogs, new moms, and newborn puppies who need bottle feeding, round-the-clock attention, and a gentle, knowledgeable hand. Tina has a gift for helping fragile babies thrive and for supporting overwhelmed mothers who have nowhere else to go. Many of the dogs who survived because of her wouldn’t be here without her calm presence and tireless care.

    But Tina’s impact goes far beyond her home. She’s been the person who sets up meet-and-greets, processes adoption applications, guides new families through the transition, and follows up long after the dogs go home. If there’s a problem to solve or a scared adopter needing reassurance, Tina is the one who shows up — patient, supportive, and determined to make every adoption successful.

    It was Tina who pushed for the creation of Lewis County Canine Company. After fostering for years, she saw firsthand how deep the crisis truly runs — how many dogs and puppies need help, how overwhelmed shelters are, and how desperately Lewis County needs a local rescue committed to compassion, education, and community support. She wanted to build something that didn’t just save dogs, but helped people keep their dogs by connecting them with resources, guidance, and nonjudgmental support.

    As President, Tina brings strong leadership, excellent communication, and a hands-on approach to everything she does. She pours her heart into every dog that enters her home, loving them as if they were her own — and if she didn’t already have nine dogs of her own, she would probably have foster-failed quite a few by now.

    Tina’s compassion, dedication, and belief that every dog deserves a fighting chance are at the core of LC Canine Co. Her vision is simple but powerful: a community where dogs are loved, families are supported, and no one has to face the challenges of dog ownership alone.

  • Secretary & Co-Founder

    “Community is built through compassion, connection, and second chances.”

    Kristi is the reason Lewis County Canine Company exists today. With a heart rooted in service and a deep love for her community, she was the first to dream of a rescue built right here at home — one that helps both dogs and the people who care for them. She saw the growing need in Lewis County, the number of dogs slipping through the cracks, and knew change had to begin locally. Her vision lit the spark that became LC Canine Co.

    Kristi has fostered for multiple rescues over the years and has always loved dogs, but what makes her truly special is the way she supports the humans behind them. She has a remarkable gift for connection — she listens, encourages, and bridges gaps. Whether she’s helping an adopter navigate first-night jitters or collaborating with local partners to build stronger resources, Kristi is the steady voice of reassurance and the warm heart behind many of the relationships the rescue holds.

    As a foster, Kristi prefers to take in one or two puppies at a time so she can give them her full attention — working on early socialization, confidence-building, and those important first steps of training. Her approach is thoughtful and intentional, ensuring each puppy leaves her home not just loved, but prepared for their future.

    Her strengths extend far beyond fostering. Kristi is an incredible connector — a natural communicator with strong organizational skills and a talent for bringing people together. She leads outreach, manages fundraisers, and helps build community partnerships that strengthen the rescue’s impact. Her work ensures that LC Canine Co isn’t just saving dogs — it’s creating a network of support, education, and compassion within the community.

    Kristi pours her heart into everything she does. She believes deeply in showing up for others, whether they have two legs or four. Without her vision and dedication, Lewis County Canine Company would not be what it is today.

    And thanks to her dream, countless dogs and families will find new beginnings here — right in the community she loves.

  • Treasurer & Co-Founder

    “Because every dog deserves to be loved.”

    Karissa has felt a deep connection to dogs for as long as she can remember. Growing up, they were her constant companions — steady, joyful, and full of the unconditional love that would eventually shape her path into rescue work. People always told her she could never foster because she’d “get too attached,” but that attachment became her greatest strength. For Karissa, dogs deserve someone who loves them fully, even if the goodbye is hard.

    Her journey into rescue began after she and her husband bought a home on acreage. They first took in a dog from friends who could no longer care for him, and soon after, a shelter visit to adopt one dog turned into bringing home two. Those early experiences showed her that while resources may be limited, her heart and home still had room — so she reached out to a local rescue to foster. She came home with two shy, shut-down dogs who needed time and patience. Watching them transform and find their forever families changed everything for her.

    Since then, Karissa has fostered well over a few hundred dogs: puppies, seniors, high-energy goofballs, timid souls, easy wins, and dogs with trauma that required months of healing. She has celebrated adoptions, navigated tough behavior cases, and held dogs through their final moments when life gave them too little time. Not every dog can be saved — but every dog who enters her home is loved, valued, and treated with dignity.

    Her heart dog, Shiloh, left a lasting mark when she passed, but healing came in an unexpected way. While fostering a litter, one puppy — Maple — claimed a piece of her heart she didn’t think she could open again. Maple stayed, and has been her grounding light through nearly four years of rescue work.

    Although Karissa loves seeing puppies find homes quickly, it’s the older, fearful, or overlooked dogs that she feels most drawn to. Helping them rediscover trust and joy is the work that matters most to her. But these dogs take time — weeks or months of decompression, training, and patience — and she wishes she could say yes to all of them.

    Karissa has fostered for several rescues, but none focused on Lewis County — her home, her community, the place she grew up. Seeing the overwhelming need close to home is what led her, alongside close friends, to create Lewis County Canine Company. She believes deeply that the dogs in this community deserve care, compassion, and a chance at a better life.

    LC Canine Co exists because Karissa knows firsthand that every dog deserves to be loved — fully, fiercely, and without conditions.

  • Our foster families are the heart of LC Canine Company. Whether you open your home to one dog or many, for a weekend or for months, your compassion gives dogs the safety, love, and second chances they deserve.

    You are the reason we can live our mission and proudly say that every dog deserves to be loved.
    We are endlessly grateful for your support — we truly couldn’t do this without you.