Meet Jona Bumstead | Founder and President

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jona Bumstead and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jona, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
A senior dog came into an animal shelter that I worked at at the time and she was estimated to be in her late teens and she was transferred to that shelter after being found as a stray. As soon as I saw her I thought she was the most precious thing ever. The shelter informed me that she was not going to be a candidate for adoption due to her advanced age so I offered to foster her to spare her some more time. Several months later I had a big move from Michigan to Florida coming up and I decided to adopt this senior so she could live out the rest of her life with me, I decided to name her Marigold (Mari) since my other two dogs were also flower names (Daisy and Lilly). Mari moved with the rest of us to Florida and lived another year with me before she passed. I was forever changed by her. I had always fostered kittens and dogs ever since I was a young girl but after having Mari I was pulled to focus on helping the “super seniors” and “hospice” dogs. After several more years of fostering pets for other organizations I decided to found Rescue Garden Inc. with the focus on helping hospice dogs in need from my local animal shelters that would otherwise be considered unadoptable. Rescue Garden is a home for senior, ill, injured and end of life pets in need and the namesake “Garden” is a tribute to my original three dogs (Daisy, Lilly, and Marigold).

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I love being able to help the community by supporting our local animal shelters with the unadoptable dogs that end up there. I enjoy working with our veterinarians to be able to provide the best care possible to give the opportunity of an amazing quality of life to the Rescue Garden dogs. We even will even sometimes have dogs come to us considered “hospice” and they end up living for several years with the high quality care they receive. I am excited for the future of Rescue Garden to be able to help the community care for their senior pets better and provide more avenues for support for the community and their animals.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I could not do what I do without my supporters, family, friends, my amazing dog sitter and especially my mom Bev and husband Mark. Rescue Garden relies on the support of donations and I could not continue to save these fragile animals without the generous support that is received.

Website: linktr.ee/rescue_garden

Instagram: @rescue_garden

Facebook: www.facebook.com/RescueGarden