Our Story

Vindicated Pit Bull Rescue was founded in 2014 by a group of volunteers with one goal in mind: restore the reputation of the misrepresented and misunderstood "pit bull”. Our staff works closely with the shelters in our area, the dogs in our program, our fosters, and potential adopters in order to ensure success throughout the rescue to re-homing process. Vindicated Pit Bull Rescue is located in Northern Virginia and currently serves the Metropolitan DC area.

AMY | amy@vindicatedrescue.org

President & Founder

This rescue came to be all because of one dog who changed my life when I adopted him from the shelter in 2005. Moose made me see how misjudged, mistreated, and misinformed people were towards pit bull type dogs. I’ve been active in the rescue community since 2008 and finally decided to launch Vindicated in 2014 to see what kind of good we could do. My mission is to change peoples perception of pit bull type dogs. My passion is to bring a kind of love, happiness, and joy to a family that only these dogs can offer.

KAITLYN | kaitlyn@vindicatedrescue.org

Foster Coordinator

Dogs have always been a big part of my life ever since I was a kid. We had border collies and labs growing up, which I still adore both of those breeds to this day. It wasn't until 2018 that I got my first taste of rescue and "pit bull" type dogs when my mom allowed me to pick a dog out from our small local animal shelter in Maine after our last border collie passed away. When we got there, the very first thing that I noticed was that the majority of the dogs in there were "pit bulls". You don't realize how big of an issue it is to place pitties into homes and how overpopulated the shelters are with them, or at least I didn't, until you actually see it firsthand. I didn't know much about pitties then, but in that moment I decided that I was going to start advocating for them. That day, we adopted a 2-year old APBT/American Bulldog mix named Oakley. He will turn 7 this year and has absolutely thrived since coming home with us. I've learned SO much about pitties since Oakley's adoption and recently adopted my own sweet pittie, Toro, in 2022. Shortly after Toro's adoption, I became involved with Vindicated to help educate folks on how misunderstood this breed is in hopes that one day pitties will no longer overflow in the shelters.

REBECCA | rebecca@vindicatedrescue.org

Treasurer & Secretary

I was once very afraid of pit bull type dogs. The media portrayed these kinds of dogs as vicious and dangerous but I became curious. So I pushed outside of my comfort zone and started volunteering. I eventually became a foster. In January of 2013, I fostered my first dog. His name was Rigley and I fell in love. I guess you could call him my “foster fail” because he is still with me today as a permeant member of my family. I keep doing this type of work because I want to continue doing good and helping these wonderful dogs live the lives they deserve.

SHANNON | shannon@vindicatedrescue.org

Adoption Coordinator

I always knew I wanted a pit bull type dog. I loved their short coats, blocky heads, and sweet disposition. I envisioned having a high energy adventure dog, but somehow ended up with the world's biggest couch potato when I adopted Luna in 2017. Over a year later, Winnie was added to our pack. I became involved with Vindicated as a temporary foster out of a desire to advocate for this often misunderstood breed and help pitties find their forever homes. Picking a dog up from the shelter and having it stay in our home for possibly its first night ever in a safe and loving environment was such a rewarding experience. I'm excited to advocate for these dogs and see more of them find their forever families.

JESS | jessica@vindicatedrescue.org

Adoptions Lead

I have been a dog and animal lover since day 1. When my boyfriend (now husband) and I adopted our first pit bull from animal control in Philly back in 2010, our lives were forever changed. The shelter staff placed Maverick in my arms and my heart melted—I knew he was ours. We quickly learned the intense stigma that surrounds this very misunderstood breed, and it became our mission to change people’s minds, using Maverick as a breed ambassador. Maverick and I worked as a therapy dog team, he came to my office for “take your children to work” day, he helped us foster 11 pit bulls during his lifetime, and he changed the “pit bull perception” for every single person he met. Maverick passed away at the end of 2021, and our hearts and lives will never be the same. However, we will continue to advocate for this breed and help foster and place as many amazing pit-bull type ambassadors in loving homes so that we can keep Maverick’s legacy alive.

JESS M | jess@vindicatedrescue.org

Adoption Coordinator

I rescued a little pittie from HRA in 2017 and she completely changed my life. People joke that Sassafras is my whole personality, and they aren't wrong!

Over the last few years I’ve volunteered with other rescue organizations, but Vindicated’s message of advocacy, education and responsible ownership resonated with me. Every dog that comes into Vindicated’s care is treated as a unique individual and has a network and community there to support them- it takes a village and I am so proud to be part of this one. I look forward to continuing to support our fosters, advocate for the bully breed and find our dogs their perfect forever families.

JANICE | janice@vindicatedrescue.org

Fundraising/Events Coordinator

I rescued my first dog at age 20. Nike had never been inside of a house and was fearful of every little household noise. I quickly realized an outgoing dog would help her adjust so I rescued my 2nd dog; Titan. Nike and Titan balanced each other well and I learned so much about dog behavior from watching them. I felt they needed me as much as I needed them. My 3rd rescue, a pit mix, joined us almost 7 years ago. She had scars, missing teeth and had obviously been used for breeding. Despite past neglect and trauma, I found her incredibly affectionate and resilient. Pandy started my love of pit bull type dogs and gave me a desire to advocate for the breed. I’ve continued that work supporting pit bull rescues and attending events ever since. After almost 19 wonderful years together, I lost Nike in 2020. That’s when I decided to really get involved in all aspects of rescue. I was very excited to find Vindicated Pit Bull Rescue in my area and reached out to join the team. We have a great team to not only save dogs but to educate the community about this most misunderstood breed.