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AHOSKIE – Jennifer Martin likes to help connect dogs and other pets with a good home where they’ll be well taken care of.

Martin, who moved to Hertford County about 10 years ago from Brooklyn, NY, has always had a heart for animals. And that’s led her to devote so much time and effort to her work – as both a dog groomer and a volunteer animal rescuer.

“Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve loved dogs,” she said.

Martin first got her start in dog grooming about three years ago, when she took her dog for a grooming at “Nails to Tails” in Hobbsville. The owners of that business, Jeannie and Jim Marcello, asked if she wanted to stay and watch.

Martin, who’d always considered dog grooming to be a dream job, said yes immediately. Once they found out she wanted to learn the business too, they took her under their wings to mentor her, teaching her the “ins and outs” of the profession.

“As I started getting mentoring, I also actually went to school online to become a groomer,” she explained. “I’m very thankful for them. Because without them offering to mentor me, I don’t think I’d be doing this in this day and age.”

Even now, Martin said she and Jeannie still usually talk at least once a week.

After all her hard work learning the trade, she was able to open Martin’s Doggy Spa, located at 204 W. Main Street, Ahoskie.

At the same time, that’s when Martin really started rescuing dogs and other animals in need – another bit of inspiration she learned from the Marcellos, who take care of stray cats. Martin said customers and other people in the community would come to her when they couldn’t take care of their pets anymore or if they were moving to a place where pets weren’t allowed.

Instead of letting the pets be abandoned on the streets, Martin takes them in and then finds a new family that can care for them.

“Most of the time, when I rehome [the animals], I rehome to customers I’ve had for a while,” she said, noting that sometimes it’s older people who are looking for a pet companion or someone whose previous pet passed away from old age.

Martin has rescued almost 300 dogs since she started.

“It’s a great task. I love what I do,” she emphasized.

Before they head to their new home, Martin makes sure they have all their shots and gives them a free groom. Sometimes she helps new pet owners out with a dog bed and some treats too.

She’s usually able to find homes for the animals within a week – unless they’re very young puppies that need a little more time to grow bigger first – and they often go to people who live locally. Martin said that makes it easier for them to get in touch if they have any questions about the animal care.

While the majority of her rescues are dogs, Martin never says no to helping out an animal in need. Over time, she’s also rescued cats, hamsters, bunnies, birds, and more.

She recalled a friend once had gotten two baby goats from another family member, and Martin was asked to help.

“I didn’t know what to do neither with the baby goats,” she laughed.

She quickly did some research to figure out what to feed them and after asking around she found the goats a new home with people who could care for them that very same day.

Another time, someone brought her a baby cow. After two days of bottle-feeding it, Martin was able to find a farm that would take the cow. She said she was relieved that she found a new home so quickly, because she didn’t have any experience with cows before.

“For me, it’s never a dull moment,” she said. “I love the animals all equally.”

Others in the local area have taken notice of Martin’s love for animals.

“We thank her for her gratitude and servitude for not only servicing rescue animals with their ‘FurEver Home’ but also serving so many of us with emotional support animals,” said Vanessa Williams. “No matter the day, nor the time of hour, Mrs. Martin is always there for all animals in need, whether paid or unpaid services, and for that we are eternally grateful.”

“When someone in the area, or surrounding counties loses a pet, Jennifer rescues them by any means necessary. She has taken in many animals and feeds and grooms them until they are returned to their owner or she finds them a new home,” noted Ja’Nea Jenkins. “We have never had anyone in the area that is so determined and loves doing all she can to help the next person.”

While she loves the work, Martin often has to work with limited space and a small amount of dog crates, and she pays for food and shots and other necessities out of pocket. But she does have friends and customers who have helped donate old crates every now and then to help her out, so that she can continue to help the animals.

“I don’t think there’s ever a time where I turned anyone down for bringing a dog to me,” she admitted.

It’s worth the time and effort to unite the animals with a good home.

Martin has dreams of becoming a veterinarian eventually, and she said she’d also like to one day open an animal shelter to have more space to help more animals.

“It makes me happy to make them happy,” she said about the animals. “Sometimes I just wish that I could save them all.”

For now, she simply does what she can.