Spark
The spark that ignited the global initiative Mutual Rescue happened in the summer of 2015, when Carol Novello and David Whitman first met—thanks to their mutual friend Sally Hazard Bourgoin.
Marshaling resources, they officially launched Mutual Rescue on February 14, 2016—a day celebrating the power of love—with an original short documentary film called “Eric & Peety” and a call for stories of mutual rescue.
From hundreds of inspirational stories received, Mutual Rescue judges across the U.S. selected five for filming: “Kylie & Liza,” “Tracy & Jack,” “Josh & Scout,” “Jessi & Andi,” and “Mike & Abbie.”
Several other top contenders were later featured in Novello’s book Mutual Rescue: How Adopting a Homeless Animal Can Save You, Too.