Today we’d like to introduce you to Thom Dougherty.
Hi Thom , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My husband, Tom (yes, we are both named Tom!), moved from rural Northeast Pennsylvania to rural South Carolina going on 4 years ago. We wanted to live on a farm. The property we purchased is a smidge over 10 acres, came full fenced in, paddocked out, had a great barn, and was move in ready. Once we got the property we decided to adopt two donkeys, that would be Thelma and Louise. We also purchased a flock of chickens, guinea hens, and turkeys. We noticed we had a small rodent infestation and decided to rescue a few barn cats, well a few barn cats turned into A LOT of barn cats and we quickly recognized the need in our area for cat rescue, along with starting up a TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) program to further help our community out. We became a non-profit 501c3 animal rescue 2 years ago!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Starting up a rescue is not easy. A lot of people get into rescue thinking they will have donations coming to them with frequency, this is just not the case. Most rescues open and close within a year or so. Getting your rescue’s name out there is the biggest hurdle. The more people hear about you, the more access your rescue has to possible donations and community support. Even in today’s age of social media, a lot of rescue work is complete word of mouth.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I worked in long term care as a CNA (certified nursing assistant) for almost 25 years. I am close to having my BSN too. Taking care of people is in my DNA. I’ve now taken that passion and have been focusing it on caring for animals. My rescue primarily focuses on cats and kittens and TNR projects within Kershaw County. We pull from high kill shelters and assist shelters that have no rescue commitments. TNR projects are an ongoing necessity within our community.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
The one thing that makes me happy is knowing that I make a difference. There are people out there that will try to bring you down and just like with every profession or vocation, how I do something may not align with how someone else does something. I know that what I do has and will continue to make a difference. I know there are hundreds of animals that would have been euthanized that are now living in great homes, knowing that I helped facilitate that, that makes me happy.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.doreranchandrescue.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DoReRanchandRescue
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@doreranchandrescue
