Dog News

Terminally Ill Teen Starts Animal Rescue

by ADMIN

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katherineWhen Katherine Mitchell was in the 7th grade she was told she wouldn’t live past the age of 15. Inspired by a puppy named Roman that struggled from the same diseases she has the terminally ill teen has started her own non-profit to rescue animals facing euthanasia.

Katherine Mitchell was told she only had a few years to live. She has Marfan Syndrome, Celiac Disease, epilepsy and heart disease. Katherine has beaten the odds and is now 16. Katherine always had a love of animals and was constantly showing her mom puppies to adopt. Then she found a special puppy named Roman.

“He had all the same disease and stuff that I had,” said Mitchell.

He was only supposed to live to be three months, but he beat the odds just like Mitchell has and lived to be 10 months old.

“It was the saddest day when he passed away,” said Katherine’s mom, Carol. “I think we mourned for maybe, two weeks and just didn’t function for two weeks, because it kind of let us all know that we’re gonna have to live through this again, only with Katherine.”

Katherine mourned, but was also inspired by Roman to create a bucket list. She started volunteering at animal shelters as part of her bucket list, but it soon became something more. She started Roman’s Rescue, a non-profit to save animals scheduled to be put down at shelters. Katherine doesn’t plan on slowing down either.

“I want to start doing adoption events. I want to get bigger,” said Katherine. “My dream is to get a TV show, like Pitbulls and Parolees or Pitboss, that’s my dream.”

No one knows how much time Mitchell has left, but she is creating a legacy that will live on.

“She will end up dying from a heart aneurysm and there’s nothing we can do to stop it,” said Carol.

Katherine will continue to save animals until that day comes and her spirit will live on in Roman’s Rescue.

For more information on Roman’s Rescue visit their website.