As a young adult, Tina Austin, Founder & President, purchased a 5 week old Shih Tzu puppy and named him Cody. This was Tina’s first pet, and she didn’t know how puppy mill dogs were treated, nor was she aware of their horrific living conditions. Unfortunately, Cody had to fight for his life the first few months and his body became very weak. But he was well loved, and Tina had eight wonderful years with him.

From then on, Tina became very passionate about saving as many dogs as she could through networking with other rescue groups. In honor of Cody, Tina founded Cody’s Friends Rescue, which has continued to thrive through the years.