NFL defensive back Logan Ryan has been working hard for his upcoming season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But this wasn’t Ryan’s only training camp over the summer. He also started a program that offers virtual training camps for rescue dogs in Tampa Bay, reports the Tampa Beacon.
Logan and his wife, Ashley, are co-creators of the Ryan Animal Rescue Foundation (RARF). According to their website, the foundation is “a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the animal welfare community through financial and educational resources.”
From NFL Drafts to Dog Training Camps
RARF was born out of Ashley’s experience helping rescue dogs. Initially, she took a job coaching softball after moving to Massachusetts with her husband. Seeking a meaningful change, she started working at a local animal shelter.
Ashley dedicated herself to the work and found a home. Eventually, she even helped create a separate nonprofit focused exclusively on rescuing Pitbulls, and the couple even adopted one of their own, Leo. Recognizing the breed’s hurdles to adoption, the Ryans questioned how to help the growing number of Pitbulls entering rescue shelters.
In June 2015, Logan created Logan’s Monthly Rescue. Every month, he chose a Pitbull from a local shelter struggling to find a forever home. Using his vast social media network, Logan would post pictures of himself with the dog to raise awareness. After two years of resounding success, the pair decided to expand their efforts. From this, RARF was born.
A Future for Dog Welfare
While the Ryans lived in Nashville, RARF worked to support and promote animal welfare groups around the country. After the couple moved to Tampa, RARF partnered with a local chapter of The Humane Society to provide virtual training camp sessions through a Behavioral Assistance Fund. The sessions coincided with Logan’s first training camp with the Buccaneers.
“Training is an important step in creating understanding between you and your dog. This is a way for us to make a difference for a few hundred dogs here in Florida and give them a second chance to succeed while helping their new families better understand their new dog,” says Logan.
The program gives four-week virtual training scholarships to anyone adopting a dog. The training is guided by a certified positive reinforcement trainer from GoodPup, a virtual dog training app.
Beyond the training camps, RARF continues to advocate and support animal welfare groups on a national level. The foundation also highlights and supports Black-owned businesses involved in animal welfare. To this day, RARF has raised over $250,000 USD in support of its mission.
