Story and photos
by Dwain Hebda

While it’s not exactly a drama worthy of the high-powered legal field she once worked, CARE for Animals Executive Director Ashley Younger does find herself locked daily in a power struggle for the heart of the Little Rock-based rescue.

The antagonist? None other than Lola Driver-Younger, Younger’s schnauzer-hound mix, constant companion and resident diva at the CARE (Central Arkansas Rescue Effort for Animals) headquarters in The Heights.   

“There is a plus side to my dog being spoiled rotten – she is very happy, very self-assured and confident,” laughs Younger. “So if I have a (foster) dog that really doesn’t know how to be a dog, doesn’t know how to play with toys, is afraid of everything, I think Lola can lead by example. She shows them that the world isn’t such a scary place.”

Lola wags her tail in agreement with her owner’s assessment, occupying a cozy nest in Younger’s office after schmoozing up the staff and visitors. She’s also been known to charm audiences on local TV while Younger beats the drum for the mission of the 20-year-old organization. 

“Lola thinks she was just born the executive dog of a non-profit,” Younger said. “I like to say that she is the mascot. I use her a lot on social media. I’m a total pageant mom; she’s used to having her picture taken, she smiles, she poses. She’ll do anything I ask of her.”

As head of CARE, the Texas-born Younger leads a paid staff of two and a cadre of local volunteers to rescue dogs and cats from euthanizing shelters, who were found as strays or plucked from abhorrent conditions with private owners. 

“When CARE was created there was a very clear vision,” Younger said. “And not to say that that vision over time hasn’t changed, but there is a very clear mission statement. CARE’s mission is to rescue and re-home cats and dogs facing euthanasia in shelters and to provide low-cost sterilization services.” 

CARE for Animals was founded in 1998 by four committed volunteers and has grown into one of the most recognizable 501(c)(3) organizations in Central Arkansas. The organization doesn’t operate a shelter per se, but instead places homeless pets with volunteers who foster the animals until they can find a permanent, loving home. CARE fosters and places nearly 200 animals per year and more than 12,000 over its history. 

The group promotes its mission online and through public meet-and-greets with adoptable pets and pays for its activities through donations and several fundraisers including Paws at the Net and Paws on the Runway. Since 2011, it has also partnered with the Paws in Prison program that matches homeless dogs with inmates who provide obedience training. 

Equally important is CARE’s work to provide low-cost pet sterilization through a statewide partnership with vet clinics.  

“We focus a lot on the rescue effort of CARE and I think the low-cost spay/neuter aspect is just as important,” Younger said. “Unfortunately, in my lifetime, I don’t think we’ll see shelters emptied. What I think we can see is a reduction in the number of animals that end up in shelters in the first place and the only way we will do that is through responsible pet ownership.”

“CARE has always been very focused on how do we make spay/neuter affordable and accessible to the community and how do we promote this throughout Arkansas.”

Younger has been involved with the organization for eight years, taking over as executive director in 2015. The University of Arkansas grad was well on her way to a successful law career with the prestigious Little Rock firm Mitchell Williams but saw a role with CARE as something she was born to do.

“I grew up with all kinds of animals – hedgehogs, guinea pigs, hamsters, hermit crabs. You name it, I liked them all,” she said. “When I graduated from law school, I moved to Little Rock and I lived nearby. We would see people sitting outside (CARE headquarters) on Saturdays with the dogs. I remember stopping and asking, ‘What is this place?’ When they said it was an animal rescue, I got really excited.” 

Younger began volunteering and quickly worked her way into areas of more responsibility, including chairing Paws on the Runway in 2014. More importantly, she practices what CARE preaches; she and her husband, Ryan, rescued Lola from the Gentry Animal Shelter early in her law school days. 

Today, Lola’s many responsibilities also include as unofficial therapy dog for her two-legged office minions. 

“Sometimes these phones just ring off the hook. It will make you crazy,” Younger said of the work environment. “You feel like you’ve got a phone in both hands and you hang up and you have 10 voicemails on both lines. I think Lola helps keep me grounded. If I am about to pull all my hair out, there’s something to be said for petting your dog.”

“That’s why we allow employees to bring their own dogs to work, too. It helps us work smarter and work better and it makes CARE a better place.”