Heidi's Legacy

 
When Lori Hoffman discovered a pack of German Shepherds wandering in a ditch in Lithia, Fla., she did what any true animal lover would do. She fed them.

“It was a way to lure them out,” said Hoffman, who at the time was a self described “average Joe citizen” who worked as a legal assistant and had no formal animal training.

 All of the dogs were in extremely poor health, she recalls.

According to Hoffman, the dog was left behind by rescuers who were unable to capture it. However, Hoffman and her husband, Art, eventually were able to lure the dog into their car.

Although the Hoffmans did their best to nurse Heidi back to health, the dog succumbed to an aneurysm in 2001 just five months after being rescued. Having been battling lung cancer at the time, Lori Hoffman had grown attached to Heidi. “I truly believe she was a guardian angel sent from God to look after me,” she said.

Heidi's Legacy

Today, the Hoffmans run Heidi's Legacy, a Florida-based dog rescue which has helped to save the lives of hundreds of dogs since opening in 2002.

If the saying rings true that all dogs go to heaven, then the couple is making sure that the road there for some is a bit less painful than society would allow otherwise.

Art Hoffman says both he and his wife have always had a fondness for not only dogs, but animals in general. “We've had dogs, cats, pigs, turkeys, horses and cows,” said Art Hoffman. “You name it, we've had it!”

The Hoffmans used private funds and Lori's legal background to help start the nonprofit, volunteer-run dog rescue. The couple's home serves as central operations.