Spark
The idea for a national nonprofit initiative to benefit both people and homeless companion animals started on June 23, 2015, in the San Francisco Bay Area, when Carol Novello and David Whitman first met—thanks to their friend Sally Hazard Bourgoin.
Marshaling resources, they officially launched Mutual Rescue on February 14, 2016, with an original short film, “Eric & Peety,” and a national call for stories. From hundreds of inspirational stories received, Mutual Rescue judges across the country selected five for filming that season. Several other top contenders were later featured in the book Mutual Rescue: How Adopting a Homeless Animal Can Save You, Too.