"Find Your Best Friend"


News from Little Trooper Ranch


March 2026

Hello First name: Welcome to the first issue of The Trooper Scoop! We are excited to share some of the joys and, yes, some of the challenges that we experience, both in the big picture of animal rescue, and also right down to the nitty gritty of our own Little Trooper world.


In this issue: We'll share the success of our End-of-Year fundraising campaign and thank our donors, Odessa shares her perspective on the power and motivation created by the experience of loss. You'll also read about the beautiful "failed foster" experience of one of our board members, the critical need we have for the help that our volunteers provide, and more. Let us know what you think! There's a button at the end of the newsletter to provide your comments, questions, and so on.


We hope that you'll enjoy reading "Trooper Scoop"! It's sent to you with love and gratitude.


--Mark (editor pro-tem)

Our End-of-Year campaign was a big success, thanks to YOU!

We've done our best every year to join the gazillions of nonprofits asking for help at the end of each calendar year. But this past season, we stepped up our campaign, hoping to show our supporters why Little Trooper Ranch and its work matters. And our stepping up inspired our donors to step up as well. We raised over $37,000; a remarkable sum that will go right back to caring for our animals, both now and in the future. Thank you to all of you who donated, and big thanks also to our super-donor, Donna Spencer, who generously offered TWO match opportunities during the campaign.

From our President: The Gift of Letting Go

By Odessa Gunn

Dog rescue is about love. But more often than we expect, it’s about letting go.


We fall in love easily here at Little Trooper Ranch. How could we not? We learn about our dogs' quirks, we celebrate their milestones, and we cheer for their first tail wags, their first confident steps, their first joyful zoomies. And then—when the perfect family comes along—we let them go, so they can be the center of someone else’s world in a forever home of their very own. It's why we are here.


But sometimes letting go is even harder. Sometimes a dog comes to us at the very end of their journey—tired, broken, or simply out of time. In those moments, rescue means offering comfort, dignity, and love… and then, when it's finally time, letting them go as an act of mercy, so they do not suffer another day.


And sometimes, letting go is quieter. It’s letting go of our expectations, our timelines, our preferences—so that our dogs' needs always come first. It’s choosing what’s best for them, even when it asks more of us.


In rescue, letting go isn’t giving up. It’s trusting. It’s selflessness. It’s compassion in its purest form.


Letting go is essential. And in rescue, letting go is one of the deepest acts of love we can give.

Odessa Gunn is the founder and president of Little Trooper Ranch. She is a "force to be reckoned with" - and gives more of herself to the animals than anyone else we know.

Foster Fail: It's a Beautiful Thing

By Keli Hendricks

Puddles on the Streets (before)

Puddles where she belongs (now!)

Sometimes the best time to adopt a dog is the worst time to adopt a dog.


After 64 years of a life filled with pets, I thought I might finally need a break. I had just said goodbye to my heart dog, Smooch, after 17 beautiful years, and then lost another senior pup in a tragic accident. I was gutted. For the first time ever, I considered life as a one-dog household. It seemed practical—simpler travel, easier logistics. My sweet Mooch had grown up with much older siblings who no longer wanted to wrestle. Maybe being an only dog wouldn’t be so bad. I tried to convince myself it was the responsible choice.


Then I attended a volunteer appreciation party at Little Trooper Ranch and heard about a new rescue—a chiweenie. I’ve had a soft spot for chiweenies ever since my college best friend adopted one named Chuy. I always said I’d have one someday.


That day arrived when I met Marigold.


She was six pounds of skin and bones, her coat dull, her ears scarred from fly strike. Barely a year old, she had clearly known hardship. She had just come from a high-intake Central Valley shelter, and much of her story was unknown.


But her spirit wasn’t.


While other dogs played wildly, Marigold lounged calmly on a couch, observant and completely at ease. New rescues are usually timid. Not her. She carried herself like a queen in a tiny, fragile body.


I picked her up and asked my friend Sharon what she thought. “I think you have a new dog,” she said. She was right.


Marigold is now Puddles, and she has transformed our home. She and Mooch play like it’s their full-time job, racing down the hallway morning and night. She gives full-body hugs that melt my heart. She’s met the cows and horses at the ranch and even bosses around our 600-pound pig. She fits here as if she was always meant to. I’m endlessly grateful her path led her to us.


If you’re waiting for the perfect time to adopt, I understand. Sometimes your heart feels too tender. Sometimes life feels too full. The timing may seem all wrong. But there is no perfect time to meet your next best friend.


There’s only the moment you say yes.

Keli Hendricks is Vice President of the LTR Board of Directors. Her "day job" is Ranching and Wildlife Coordinator for Project Coyote. Keli is a mainstay of LTR, and if you have noticed the high-quality of some of our dog pics, they are likely photographed by Keli.

Why Volunteer with Little Trooper Ranch?

By Kathleen Daly

It’s no secret that Odessa is the driving force at Little Trooper Ranch (LTR), the heart of everything that we do. But our day-to-day volunteers are truly the engine that runs the organization. Whether it’s providing a foster home for a pup (or two!), or a socializing visit to our shelter, or simply picking up medications, there are tons of things that a volunteer can do to help.


The LTR shelter is a welcoming and warm place for our rescues AND our volunteers. There are no crates or cages. Just lots of dog beds, blankets, toys for the dogs, and royalty chairs for our volunteers.


If you volunteer with us, when you arrive at the LTR shelter for your time slot, you are welcomed by the happy barks of the rescues. You might start the day by picking up the poop, mopping the floor, or cleaning the yard, but the most important job is human interaction with the dogs. By working with them on a semi-regular basis, they begin to trust you and, by extension, other humans as well. This helps them come out of their shell, reduces their shyness, and increases their adoptability exponentially.


You instantly see the results of your labor. And you can see a change in the pups' personality on the spot; whether it’s from taking them for a walk, tossing a toy or just showing them some love, their personalities reveal themselves and they start to shine.


A volunteer’s time never goes unnoticed. You get the reward of contributing to the solution, ensuring a brighter future for the dogs, and making the world a little bit better; all of which make you feel good about the work you are doing. We're super-grateful to our volunteers, but we always need more help - if you are interested in becoming a Little Trooper Ranch volunteer, please click here and send us a message.

The crew at our 2025 Volunteer Appreciation Party

Kathleen Daly is the treasurer for the LTR Board of Directors, but she is much, much more than that. She's one of our hardest working volunteers and is one of Odessa's main go-to's whenever something is needed. Oh, and she is the proud mom of three LTR alumnae.

Our available "Pup of the Season"

We plan to feature one of our available/adoptable dogs with each issue of The Trooper Scoop. Please feel free to help us find these deserving pups their forever home!

Say hello to Carrot! It doesn’t get cuter than this seven pound, 3-year old sweetheart. Carrot has an abundance of personality and will keep you entertained and loved.


Carrot would love a home with older neutered males or females. He’s too regal for juvenile nonsense. He wanted us to mention that he is not vegan, despite the name. Given the choice, he would have named himself 'Bacon.'


For more information about Carrot, or to apply to adopt this handsome boy, please click here, and once again, do help us find Carrot his perfect landing spot.

Well.... That's All, Folks! It's a wrap for our first issue of The Trooper Scoop! What did you think? Please let us know - good, bad, neutral: we would love to hear your thoughts, comments, and questions. Click the "Contact Us" button below and get in touch! Thanks for reading The Trooper Scoop!

Little Trooper Ranch, PO Box 1071, 11041 Main St, Penngrove, CA 94951-8756

adopt@LittleTrooperRanch.org

 

Little Trooper Ranch is a locally founded, donor-supported 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization

Tax ID  86-1286801