Doggone great advocate

Founder of nonprofit animal shelter earns another plaudit as she pursues passion of helping pets and owners

By Stephen Prudhomme 

Jennifer Taylor was born in New Jersey and lived in Miami, a foster child going from one home to another. She moved to Savannah a dozen years ago and worked as a trauma nurse. 

Taylor combined her experience as a foster child and work as a nurse to pursue a new avenue in life, one in which she can help people and their dogs find the comfort of a warm and caring home she desperately sought as a youngster and offer the compassion of a nurse to those in need.

Taylor is the founder and director of Renegade Paws Rescue, located on Ogeechee Road in Savannah. The shelter houses 40 to 50 dogs that can be reclaimed by their owners or placed in foster homes and frequently adopted. Additionally, there are between 450 and 600 dogs in foster homes. 

The contributions of Renegade Paws to the community have earned the nonprofit group a number of honors during its seven years of operation and a spot on the Today Show in July 2025 featuring Taylor and Igor, one of her shelter dogs. The latest is Best Shelter in Pooler Magazine’s 2026 Best of Pooler. 

“I was shocked,” Taylor said. “We’re very honored the people in Pooler recognize us. We strive to keep that reputation up.”

Lisa Hayes learned of Renegade Paws’ reputation after fostering a dog through the nonprofit. A resident of Pooler who has volunteered for Chatham County Animal  Services for several years, Hayes extended her volunteering to Renegade Paws and has fostered two dogs from the shelter.

“I’m impressed with Jennifer’s heart and how much she cares,” said Hayes, who makes monthly donations to Renegade Paws and helps out with microchipping clinics. “She cares not just for the dogs but the foster community, staff and volunteers. They do everything they can to let people keep their animals and do a lot as far as educating about spaying and neutering and microchipping. They’ve built such a strong support group in the community. People step up.”

Before stepping up for animals, Taylor answered the call to help people. She moved to Savannah in 2014 and took a job as trauma nurse at Memorial Hospital. Five years later, she left the security of that job for an opportunity filled with uncertainty. 

“I was a foster kid all my life,” said Taylor, who lived in five to six foster homes and several group homes. “I have a heart for helping people and dogs. Rescue is not inclusive. I want to keep them in the home. I love dogs.”

That love was put to the test with the harsh reality of financing the fledgling operation. She solicited donations and grants while searching for a suitable shelter in Savannah’s westside, where she said the median income is $32,000 a year and people and their dogs struggle to survive.

In 2023, after operating primarily as a foster-based agency for four years, Taylor found a building with kennels on Ogeechee Road that had just became available and could house the dogs but needed renovation. She purchased the structure, built in 1940, and embarked on a capital campaign to raise the funds for renovation that included redoing the plumbing and replacing the roof. In 16 months, Taylor raised $400,000. “Thanks to our community’s unbelievably generous support, we were able to purchase the small shelter to support dogs and cats while they wait for foster and forever homes,” Taylor said.

The work had just begun. Now came the formidable task of rescuing the dogs, feeding and caring for them and, with something she could personally relate to - placing them in a safe and secure home. 

Taylor works with the Chatham County Animal Shelter, rescuing dogs and a few cats slated for euthanizing. “Forty percent of our dogs come from the Chatham County Animal Services,” said Taylor, who also rescues dogs from Macon, Effingham and Bryan counties but whose focus is on Chatham County. 

Taylor has made life easier for Jodi Lewis, executive director of Chatham County Animal Services. By taking animals from the shelter, Taylor frees up space for other four-legged denizens. 

“If the community needs something, it can call on her,” Lewis said. “Jenn provides food, vet care and special needs for the animals. That frees up vital cage space and allows time to work with the animals that need me. I wonder how she still functions. If anyone can make it happen it’s Jenn.”

According to Lewis, Taylor possesses another quality that separates her from likeminded individuals. “So many have the heart, desire and creativity but not the work ethic,” Lewis said. “Not only does Jenn care but she has the work ethic. She doesn’t take no for an answer and believes there has to be a way.”

Taylor said 90 percent of the dogs she rescues are large ones, adding they’re dog friendly and people friendly. “We won’t take in aggressive dogs,” she said. “We want dogs that will adapt to a new home and people.”

Once the dogs are brought to Renegade Paws, they’re fed and spayed and neutered. Those that don’t come from the animal shelter belong to individuals who can’t afford to care for them. In some cases, these owners, who couldn’t afford the spaying and neutering and other costs, will take their dogs back home. Otherwise, the dogs remain at Renegade Paws Rescue until a foster home is found.

“The foster parent takes the pet home to see if it’s a good fit,” Taylor explained. “We suggest they keep it at least a week before adoption. About 20 percent of the owners end up keeping their dogs. Instead of judging them (the owners), we do what we can to help them.”

 Taylor said the operating costs for the facility are over $100,000 a month and cover staffing, veterinarian care, food and insurance. The annual budget, she noted, is $1.8 million, raised largely through donations and a few grants.

Offsetting the ongoing challenge of financing the nonprofit operation is the satisfaction of helping people and dogs in need.

“I work 16 hours a day,” Taylor said, “but I love my job. I’m thankful to be here. I see people at their worst and families in crisis when they can’t keep their dog.”

Taylor has a symbiotic relationship of sorts with Mandy Sperrui, director of Trapping, Rescuing, Advocating and Providing (TRAP). The two women head up nonprofit agencies dedicated to rescuing dogs and frequently collaborate with one another to achieve that goal. Sperrui volunteers at Renegade Paws and periodically serves as a foster parent for the agency. 

“She’s really built a community,” said Sperrui, who connected with Taylor after trapping a dog on Hutchinson Island and the latter reached out to offer support. “A good chunk of individuals volunteer at both places. Renegade Paws Rescue resonates with a lot of folks concerned about dogs and community.”

As a foster parent, Sperrui said she typically keeps dogs for a year and gets those that are more fearful and have trust issues with people. Taking dogs off the street and putting them into foster homes rather than a kennel, she noted, gives them a chance they wouldn’t have had otherwise.

Taylor’s heart for dogs and people goes beyond Renegade Paws Rescue. Sperrui said she’s gone with Taylor to homeless camps and watched her provide food, vaccinations and microchipping for the individuals’ dogs. 

“Jennifer does what she can to keep dogs and families together,” Sperrui said. “She’s an extremely giving person, sometimes to the detriment of taking care of herself. She has a huge heart and cares for people and dogs. That’s a rare quality. Jennifer’s an amazing person.”

Another volunteer and foster parent is Caroline Young. The Pooler resident has fostered several dogs and volunteers by cleaning out the kennels and her favorite thing of walking the canines. She became involved with Renegade Paws early this year after moving from California to Pooler.
 

“I’ve met so many good people through Renegade Paws,” said Young, remarking she likes dogs more than people sometimes. “Jennifer is one of the finest, most supportive people I’ve met. I’ve watched her drop everything for humans and dogs. I’m blown away by her capacity to extend herself. She maintains kindness and generosity and created a safe haven for people and pups.”

Reflective of Taylor’s impact in the community, Taylor noted, in early August, after the air conditioning went out, 50 people showed up to rescue 50 dogs at the kennel. “She’s done so much good people want to help her out,” Young said. So many people in Savannah - probably 85 percent - know about Renegade Paws. It’s such a big part of my Savannah life.”

It all started with a woman whose life was difficult growing up but who has found a true home and calling with Renegade Paws. Given her compassionate and altruistic nature, it’s not surprising Taylor wouldn’t object to her nonprofit closing its doors one day.

“I love my job and I love the animals, but we can’t save them all,” Taylor said. “Spay and neuter and access to care is the only thing we can do. We spay and neuter at no cost to the community so we can decrease the pet population and hopefully not have to do this in 20 years.”

​In a few short years, we've grown from a dozen fosters to over 300 foster families. We have expanded our organization to include a community program that provides free spay and neuter services and food to help keep pets in homes. 

We are pinching ourselves every single day. 

Co-founder and director Jennifer Taylor says it best. "We work all hours of the day, every day of the week because the innocent souls that come our way need us. And they are worth every bit of blood, sweat and tears."