About Us
Doxie By Proxy Rescue, Inc.
Doxie By Proxy Rescue, Inc. began in January 2019 out of a passion for both rescue and the dachshund breed. The rescuers involved with this organization have over 50 years rescue experience collectively — and work tirelessly to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome dachshunds and dachshund mixes in North Carolina. Previously associated with Almost Home Dachshund Rescue Society, we felt a need to be more community oriented since we specifically rescue and place in our own community. Our organization requires all adopters to travel to North Carolina to adopt and prefers local adoptions so that we can continue to support the adopters after they adopt from our organization. We are a foster home based rescue that accepts shelter intakes from North Carolina as well as owner surrenders. When possible, we try to counsel and offer advice to owners considering surrendering their dachshund to our organization as a way of keeping pets in loving homes to prevent coming into rescue.
Jennifer Gregory, Vice President
Jennifer Gregory, Vice President
Jennifer’s passion for rescue work – which is only second to her Diet Mountain Dew addiction – started in 2000 when she learned about a rural shelter near her home with horrible conditions. She met Alison when Alison was adopting her first rescued dachshund and actually conducted Alison’s phone interview. After her kids were born, Jennifer took a number of years off from leading rescue efforts – but was always up for a transport, home visit or foster.
In the fall of 2017, Jennifer’s heart was touched by the story of sweet Teague, a pup that went to the rainbow bridge while in Alison’s rescue, and after donating to her cheeseburger fund. She knew she needed to do more and began fostering for Alison. Within a few months, Jennifer was managing a few foster homes and building relationships with kill shelters near her home in Wake Forest. After learning about the devastating fire at Chapman’s Dachshund Rescue, where one of her pups had come from, in September, Jennifer loaded her car with crates and drove to South Carolina before the sun rose up. As she drove 11 dogs back that afternoon, Jennifer knew that rescue was a part of a soul and her life for the rest of her days. Over the next few weeks, she worked with Alison to place a total of 25 dogs that ran out of the burning shelter.
When she’s not pulling dogs from rural kill shelters or driving doxies across the state, she can be found running her marketing writing business and refereeing the drama that comes with having two teenage kids. She has four dogs of her own – a beagle mix and three dachshunds – one from Chapmans and a special needs red mini that was a foster fail. And if you happen to see a beagle doxie on the DBP website, it’s more than likely one of Jennifer’s By Proxy pulls.
Alison Schwartz, Founder and President
Alison Schwartz, Founder and President
Alison is owned by 7 dogs (all dachshunds or dachshund mixes) — all rescues adopted through her dachshund rescue work. She has 2 human children that have been raised rescuing dachshunds that she considers the next generation of dachshund wranglers.Alison’s husband has fully surrendered to helping with rescues — and barely bats an eye when Alison brings home a dachshund with a broken leg in need of surgery and rehabilitation. Her family often helps her with the many dogs they rescue by offering to let them sleep in their bed or taking them for walks.
Alison has been passionate about the dachshund breed since she first purchased a dachshund puppy in 1999 named Samantha. Soon after a dachshund named Montgomery would briefly enter her life — and after tragically losing him to an accident she learned of rescue. She often refers to Montgomery as her “rescue angel” because his death is what lead her to rescue. In 2001 Alison began her dachshund rescue career and she estimates she has personally rescued and rehabilitated over 550 dachshunds (with a few “doxies by proxy” thrown into that count). Many fellow rescuers often tease Alison for taking heavily mixed “short legged, long bodied” dogs from the shelter that she refers to as “doxie’s by proxy” — thereby naming her organization after her known habit for being a sucker for some dogs in need that are not necessarily her breed but all the same in need of rescue!
Rachel Wilson, Secretary
Rachel Wilson, Secretary
Rachel Wilson grew up with dachshunds in her home for as long as she can remember. As an adult, Rachel adopted Hannah (the black and tan she is pictured with here) who sadly passed away in October 2016. She began volunteering and fostering for her local shelter 10 years ago after adopting Hannah.
Rachel’s passion for the breed grew strong and gave her the shove she needed to focus her efforts on rescuing the breed. She enjoys fostering the sick, shy and “broken” ones as it brings joy to her heart to watch them begin to thrive. Rachel is rather experienced at both fostering and foster failing, as she has most notably adopted our sweet Christopher Robin in the fall of 2018 after he was rescued from a shelter where he had been surrendered after a close encounter with a car. Christopher Robin had 2 broken legs and his pelvis was broken in 5 places. Rachel thought she was just taking him long enough to get his surgery done and returned to his initial foster home — but he had different plans and dug his heels in and stayed!
Rachel is owned by 4 fur babies — one of which is a dachshund/beagle mix that is a Chapman’s Dachshund Rescue alumni. When not rescuing, Rachel works as a Nanny Coordinator for a local nanny agency. Rachel is our fundraiser expert and the glue that keeps both Alison and Jennifer stay organized!