Photo | Courtesy of Julianne Hertel
Ziggy, one of Hertel's past foster dogs
Updated: 4 hours ago
The Dog Edition
200 & counting: Hertel finds purpose through rescue
Photo | Courtesy of Julianne Hertel
Julianne Hertel and her adopted dog Lucy
Photo | Courtesy of Julianne Hertel
People think Julianne Hertel's dog Lucy (white dog) has no teeth because her tongue sticks out, but that's only because her mouth is too small for her tongue. On the other hand, Hertel's foster Chihuahua Buster (black dog), is in fact, toothless.
Photo | Courtesy of Julianne Hertel
One of Hertel's foster dogs
Julianne Hertel may spend her days as owner and financial advisor at Dream Big Wealth Strategies in Worcester, but outside the office, she has a whole other life devoted to rescuing human’s best friend.
Since 2012, Hertel has fostered nearly 200 dogs through the nonprofit Broken Tail Rescue in Worcester, in addition to adopting a number of the shelter’s older and special needs dogs.
She adopted her dog Lucy from Vintage Pet Rescue, a rescue and hospice home for senior dogs out of Rhode Island, and is currently fostering a 15-year-old, toothless Chihuahua from Broken Tails.
“No pun intended, but I think I've been raised to always look out for the underdog, and the ones that are sometimes overlooked, or people don't necessarily have the capacity to take care of them like I do,” said Hertel.
She has dedicated the past 13 years to providing that capacity. In fact, Hertel can count on only two hands the number of days she’s gone in the past five years without a dog.
Photo | Courtesy of Julianne Hertel
Waffles, one of Hertel's past foster dogs
“In the rare times I have a house without a dog, it's clear that there's something missing,” she said. “Dogs teach us as humans compassion that's very difficult to learn someplace else.”
Hertel has supported Broken Tails as the shelter has taken in 140 dogs and 400 cats this year, work that at once can be tremendously difficult, yet incredibly rewarding.
“It's one of the hardest things I do, but it's absolutely the most important thing I do in my life,” she said.
Like the American writer Mark Twain once said, Hertel believes the two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.
“And I truly believe I was put on this earth to make the world a little bit better for animals,” she said.
Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare and diversity, equity, and inclusion industries.
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