Constance ‘Connie’ Lee Ayers, president and co-founder of Best Friends Forever Rescue in Maumee, Ohio, died at 81.

Her death leaves a volunteer-run rescue that credited her with helping to save 806 dogs from kill shelters, neglect and abandonment. Ayers led the nonprofit for more than two decades, balancing administrative duties with on-the-ground rescue work that volunteers say reached far beyond paperwork. Within the broader landscape, animal shelters and rescue organizations frequently struggle with overcrowding and capacity crises, a challenge that Ayers tirelessly addressed.

Best Friends Forever Rescue operates by volunteers who foster, transport and rehabilitate at-risk dogs, then place them in homes. Volunteers described Ayers as a force who answered late-night calls and entered unsafe neighborhoods to retrieve neglected animals, routinely taking personal risks to secure dogs that otherwise faced dire outcomes. This type of proactive engagement is critical, as many shelters nationwide face staffing and veterinarian shortages which complicate their efforts.

“She gave a voice to animals that had none,” said Lindsay Labounty, a volunteer foster. That sentiment was echoed across the rescue’s network as members recalled how Ayers combined toughness with compassion. Michelle Schroeder, another volunteer foster, said, “When you talked to her, what you saw is what you got.” Her vice president, Linda Scott, summarized Ayers’s approach simply: “She would do anything for anybody.” These recollections framed the rescue’s mourning and the volunteers’ pledge to continue the work, knowing that individual contributions—like fostering and financial donations—are vital to ensure ongoing support.

Volunteers described a daily routine that mixed logistics with rescue missions. In addition to arranging adoptions and coordinating transports, Ayers often responded directly to animals in need — driving into neighborhoods at odd hours and taking in dogs surrendered under desperate circumstances. Longtime volunteer Victoria Hofstetter urged others to consider fostering, saying, “Even fostering temporarily can save a life,” and recalled Ayers telling the team, “This is why we do it.” The impact of efforts from devoted individuals like those at Best Friends Forever Rescue is critical in addressing the challenges faced by shelters. What percentage of animals in shelters are adopted versus euthanized each year is a critical statistic in understanding the impact of these efforts.

Those who worked with Best Friends Forever Rescue said Ayers built a culture of practical action and steady follow-through. The rescue focused on dogs judged at risk by shelters and placed animals in foster homes while preparing them for adoption. Volunteers said that approach, led by Ayers, allowed the organization to place hundreds of animals into stable homes over the years, demonstrating a proven model that combats the pressing issues faced by many rescues today.

The loss prompted immediate expressions of grief and commitment among the rescue’s volunteers. They described quiet moments at foster homes and at adoption events in which people recalled specific rescues Ayers led and the animals she pulled out of neglect. Those memories, volunteers said, are the foundation they intend to carry forward, reinforcing their commitment to the mission amidst continuing challenges in the animal welfare space.

Best Friends Forever Rescue remains volunteer-run and dependent on the same network of fosters and donors that sustained Ayers’s work. Local supporters and volunteers have said they will honor her legacy by continuing placements and keeping the rescue’s daily operations moving, understanding the crucial importance of community involvement in mitigating the difficulties faced by shelters.

Coverage of Ayers’s life and the rescue’s work has included local reports and a recorded segment on WTOL that documented the organization’s mission and volunteers’ tributes to her work via WTOL. For broader context on the challenges faced by shelters and rescues, resources such as Manypets outline common strains on volunteer-run organizations and the role of fostering and donations in sustaining them Manypets.

Volunteers said they will mark Ayers’s passing by keeping adoptions and foster arrangements on track, a practical tribute consistent with the direct approach she modeled. Her leadership, they said, was rooted in action: answering calls, arranging transports and insisting each dog mattered.

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Original reporting: view the original article.