Today we’d like to introduce you to Payton Brianne.
Payton, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Compassionate Canine Society began with a simple mission: to be there for dogs when no one else can. For years, I’ve volunteered with rescue groups and fostered countless animals, but I knew I wanted to create something more focused, more direct— something that tackled the systemic issues putting animals at risk. We started by pulling dogs from high-kill shelters, particularly those overlooked because of age, breed, or medical needs. What began as a small mother-daughter rescue effort has grown into a full nonprofit dog rescue and education program. Now, we’re proud to be expanding our work into advocacy and legal reform.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not even close… but every challenge has strengthened our core purpose. Funding is always a hurdle, especially when you’re taking on the hardest cases: pregnant dogs, medical emergencies, large-breed dogs who are harder to adopt out. We took on all of these during our first 3 months. We took in 2 large adult pits, we took in a mama with 7 unborn babies, and we took in 3 distemper pups.
Emotionally, it is so tough too. The system is broken in a lot of ways, and we’re constantly racing against the clock to save lives. But despite all that, the wins keep us going. Every freedom ride, every adoption, every clean bill of health makes it worth it.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Compassionate Canine Society?
We specialize in helping the most vulnerable dogs. The ones often passed over due to behavior, health, or timing. But our work doesn’t stop at rescue.
We’re also deeply committed to education and awareness. Through our social media platforms, we consistently post educational content on fostering, spay/neuter, vaccinations, and cruelty prevention. We break down the realities of shelter overcrowding and euthanasia and advocate for responsible pet ownership. One of our most popular series is “Bringing Home a Rescue Dog,” where we provide guidance using the 3-3-3 rule, crate training tips, bell training methods, and the importance of consistency and patience. We also launched an education initiative called Empathy for Animals, where we bring rescue dogs into classrooms to help students understand the importance of empathy— not just toward animals, but in their broader relationships and communities.
And now, we’re proud to announce our newest branch: California Legal Pawject! We have two core goals: (1) to provide affordable legal services related to pet ownership, animal welfare, and nonprofit rescue work; and (2) to implement Empathy for Animals as a criminal court diversion program.
What sets us apart is our multi-layered approach: rescue, education, and now legal. We don’t just pull dogs, we’ve learned that’s a never ending cycle, instead we advocate for change so that we get to a point where we no longer have to rescue.
How do you define success?
For us, success is measured in the lives saved and systems changed. It’s watching a dog who nearly lost their life run free in a yard for the first time. It’s a family knowing their pets will be protected if something happens to them. It’s passing a local ordinance or launching a legal service that didn’t exist before. We believe compassion creates ripples, and every time someone sees a dog differently because of us, that’s success.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://compassionatecaninesociety.org
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/compassionatecaninesociety
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Compassionate-Canine-Society/61570540166420/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@compassionatecanine
