Life & Work with Joseph Altieri of Acton

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joseph Altieri.

Hi Joseph, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started pulling dogs off the street at a very young age, and it was always my dream to someday operate a dog rescue at some point (be careful what you wish for!). Over the years I learned that Mother Nature, Mother Earth, has created no more noble creature than the dog. Loyal, brave, sensitive, sentient, intuitive, dedicated, and soulful; all other species pale in comparison. They are our friends, companions, teachers, messengers, and serve as examples as to how we all should try to live our lives: fully, completely, and in the moment. They bring us joy, laughter, comfort, and unwavering, unconditional love.
And yet, thousands of these incredible spirits die needlessly every year in cold, frightening shelters.
RockNRoll Rescue was established as another resource, another avenue, to save as many of these beautiful animals as possible, and to find them their own forever homes and families. We also provide long-term sanctuary to dogs that are elderly, or sick and need individualized care.
Through advocacy, fund-raising, and rescue events we strive to raise awareness, and create support and long-term care and financing for the rescue itself.
Working in conjunction with hi-profile Rock and Roll musicians and TV/Film personalities, RockNRoll Rescue draws its primary support from the fans of Rock and Roll and Media, and the many colorful bands and entertainers associated with it.
Every dog deserves a home and family. No home or family is truly complete without a dog. Our goal is to make this a reality in the world today, and in doing so, make the world a much better place for all.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Rescue is a very dark environment. With the high rate of euthanasia in shelters it often feels like we are in a losing battle at all times. Keeping the rescue running is a constant fight in and of itself. We are completely dependent on the community for support and funding, and that support and funding is limited, at best. Because we are a small, unknown non-profit, we rarely receive corporate donations or federal grants. We have to appeal to the community-at-large via fundraising to get the money we need for just basic day-to-day survival. For numerous reasons like a tough economy, and a high cost of living, adoptions are few and far between. And while we do our best to promote adoptions via websites and adoption events, dogs are simply not being adopted at a very high rate, and many of the dogs in our rescue have been here for a long time. We also have “sanctuary” dogs; dogs that are elderly, or have behavioral and health problems that make them very difficult to find homes for, they, quite often, live their entire lives here at our facility.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I adopted my first dog, a stray off the street, when I was about 8 years old. My parents told me I could keep the dog, but I had to pay for his license and shots myself. I responded to an ad in the back of a comic book to sell greeting cards door-to-door in order to raise the money I needed. I have been working with dogs in some capacity ever since. In the early 2000’s I worked as a dog behavior consultant. I went into peoples home who were having issues with their dogs, evaluated the environment/situation, and then offered them information and advice on how to better interact with their dogs to get the behavior they were looking for. It was rewarding work. In 2015 I started my own dog-boarding business, 2nd Home Dog Boarding, that I still operate today. We provide boarding for dogs who’s families are traveling, or need to board them for one reason or another. RockNRoll Rescue was a natural offshoot from this. We are situated on four acres of land with multiple enclosures and kennels onsite. We house, on average, about 25 rescue dogs in addition to dogs that are being boarded. I think what sets me apart is my commitment to, and love for, dogs. Dogs and their well-being are truly my calling in this life. They are amazing creatures, and I am honored to serve them in any capacity that I can.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Compassion. It is the cornerstone of this kind of work. It is absolutely necessary to be able to navigate the constantly challenging landscape that is rescue work. It fuels the drive needed, and creates the empathy, patience, and perseverance necessary to be successful at such a daunting task.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rocknrollrescuedogs.org
• Instagram: @rnrrescueav
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100081164383842

Image Credits
Joseph Altieri, Dustin Jack