Meet Geri Hormel | Founder of Almost There Rescue

We had the good fortune of connecting with Geri Hormel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Geri, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I actually didn’t start this journey with the intention to build a rescue organization, but I am so glad I did! From the moment I had my first taste of the animal welfare world at 16, I was hooked. I wanted to do all that I could to help. What started as assisting with adoptions and folding laundry quickly grew into fostering, taking animal medical courses, and assisting in the rescue’s animal hospital. By the time I was 20 I was ready to dedicate more of myself. The question was how? What could I do that would make the biggest impact for these shelters? The answer I was given is the same answer so many shelters would give today- space. There is simply not enough space for the high volume of dogs in need, even more specifically pregnant dogs and dogs nursing young pups. These families take up more space and resources than most others coming through the shelters, because they need time to grow, and special attention to thrive. With this information I dove right in. What started as a young girl fostering one litter for one rescue, quickly grew into Almost There Foster Care, an organization with a small staff of 3 fostering up to 8 litters at a time from multiple organizations. Realizing how needed this specific niche was in our community, we continued to educate and dedicate ourselves, taking in our own rescues, growing our team, and changing our name to Almost There: A Mom + Pups Rescue.

What should our readers know about your business?
I am so proud of how Almost There Rescue has grown, and what we have become. A few things that set us apart from others are our thorough quarantine practices and our puppy preschool curriculum. Many shelters do not have the ability to do either of these.

So many of our residents are incredibly young with underdeveloped immune systems, which means we have to be especially careful to keep them healthy. Every dog that comes into our care goes through a two week quarantine in one of our six quarantine kennels, regardless of their health. These kennels are equipped with their own filtered air space, drainage, and cleaning system, as well as it’s own storage space for all necessary supplies. When anyone enters these kennels, they are suiting up in protective gear as to not risk tracking any potential germs out of the kennel. These practices ensure that if a litter becomes ill, that illness stays within that kennel and does not put any of our other residents at risk.

Imagine being born and raised in a sterile room, with no human interaction other than the person that comes in to clean and drop off your food. The only texture you experience is concrete. The only noise you experience is loud barking. These circumstances would make entering the real world a very scary experience and sadly, this is how many puppies within the shelter system are raised due to a lack of resources.
At Almost There Rescue, this is not the case. Each pup in our care goes through our detailed Puppy Preschool course, which maps out new experiences, socialization, and enrichment for each pup day by day, from birth through adoption. Our pups get individual attention, are exposed to a new texture, toy, or novelty item each day, listen to a variety of sounds from fireworks to babies crying, experience the beginnings of potty training and crate training, and so much more. We work hard to ensure that our pups are set up for success during their transition into their new homes, and have a solid foundation toward becoming the best adult dog they can be!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m a little biased, but Pizza To The Rescue is the first restaurant I would recommend! This restaurant donates 25% of proceeds from pizza sales to Almost There Rescue, and we bring puppies on the patio almost every evening for a quick puppy snuggle while you enjoy your dinner. I honestly think the food is incredible, so even if you hate dogs (weird), you should still give it a try! They also have trivia on tuesdays, big cowboy cut steaks on wednesdays, and a dog-friendly patio so you can eat with your pup.
The Wrigley Mansion is hands down the best place in town for a sunset drink. There are views from every room and patio, and the historic building is absolutely gorgeous, holding such great energy. On Thursday nights there is live jazz, and you might catch me singing with the band every now and then!
Christopher’s at the Wrigley is another great spot with a sexy atmosphere, great view, and fantastic food. If you want the whole shebang, you can go all in with his excellent tasting menu. If that’s not your thing, you can order a la carte off his classics menu.
Now that we’ve got food out of the way, enjoy the outdoors! One of my favorite things about living in Phoenix is our incredible weather (outside of our three hot months). Hike Camelback right in town or go up to Brown’s Ranch for something a little off the beaten path. Check out the Desert Botanical Garden. Hang by the pool and sit out on patios. Just enjoy being here.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First and foremost I have to recognize my mom and my sister. They have been incredibly supportive from day one. Additionally I’d like to thank the Arizona Humane Society and Halo Animal Rescue for being so understanding and patient with someone who was just entering the world of animal welfare, and helping me to learn and grow through those early years!

Website: https://www.almostthererescue.org

Instagram: @almostthererescue

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/almostthererescue

Other: https://www.pizzatotherescuephx.com